volunteer – Page 4 – American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region

Volunteer Spotlight: Melinda Wittmer

Meet Melinda Wittmer, a Disaster Services volunteer for the American Red Cross serving Northern Minnesota.

Melinda has been a Disaster Services volunteer since 2011, and is part of the Disaster Action Team (DAT). She also has recently taken on a new role with Volunteer Services – she’ll be interviewing prospective volunteers to introduce them to the volunteer opportunities at the Red Cross and help them find a good fit.

As a child, Melinda was introduced to the Red Cross as part of her home-school curriculum, in which her mother made the Red Cross a recurring theme. What Melinda took away from that was that the Red Cross “is a solid entity that is always there to help.”

Fast forward to Melinda’s adult life when she was working at a group home and became very close to an individual who turned into one of her favorite clients. His health declined and he was put on life support, and then eventually taken off. At that moment Melinda decided she wanted to do something good and help people. She went to the Red Cross office in Duluth, Minnesota, to ask a few questions, and was immediately “roped in.” Within minutes she was filling out an application, and the rest is history!

Melinda went on her first home fire call with one of the chapter’s most experienced volunteers. Since then Melinda has responded to over 30 home fires. Melinda says that the most satisfying part of being a disaster volunteer is “helping people who have experienced a devastating loss and seeing how grateful clients always are for the services of the American Red Cross.”

A few months ago Melinda went through the difficult experience of responding to an incident that involved a fatality. Additionally, it turned out that she was familiar with the person who died. Despite the difficulty involved in this response, Melinda took away the feeling that she was there for the family to help them with the “begin-again phase” of their lives.

The Red Cross has made Melinda more confident, and through her interactions and meeting other volunteers she has become interested in pursuing a career in Emergency Management.

Melinda certainly embodies the mission and fundamental principles of both the American Red Cross and Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement around the globe. She’s always ready, willing and able to assist and a great comfort to those who have suffered a loss because of home fires and other disasters.

Story and photo by Nancy Rogers, Volunteer Services Coordinator for the American Red Cross serving Northern Minnesota.

To learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer, click here.

In the New Year…Volunteer!

The New Year is a great time to evaluate your priorities and begin new adventures. If you’re looking to improve your health, expand your social circle, and build new skills, volunteering with the Red Cross may be the perfect new experience to dive into in 2015. And if you’re already among our amazing cohort of volunteers, this may be just the time to explore a new opportunity.

Why Volunteer?

Volunteering has many benefits – it allows you to expand your skill set, meet new people, have fun, and make a difference in your community. But did you know it also has positive health benefits? A Corporation for National and Community Service report found that volunteering leads to better health, including lower mortality rates and lower instances of heart disease. So, if your New Year’s list includes hitting the gym and eating more veggies, consider volunteering as another (and more fun) way to improve your health.

Why the Red Cross?

Volunteers are so important to the Red Cross that they’re right in our mission statement:

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Red Cross volunteers are both generous and committed. In the past 6 months, volunteers from the Minnesota Region have devoted over 57,000 hours to the Red Cross mission – a value of over $1.3 million to the organization and our community.*

What Can I Do?

The Red Cross has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities – from teaching CPR/First Aid courses and to responding to local disasters, to assisting with fix-it projects around our buildings. You can check out the opportunities listed below, and find a more complete overview of opportunities on our website. If you’re ready to get started, you can apply here.

If you already volunteer with the Red Cross but would like to get more involved (or try something different), we have some great new opportunities available:

Volunteer Champion – The Volunteer Services Department is seeking Volunteer Champions to support and implement ways to recognize, retain, and increase satisfaction of volunteers.

Disaster Action Team (DAT) Administrator – The Disaster Services Department is seeking a DAT Administrator volunteer to manage the DAT calendars, communicate schedules with after-hours answering service, monitor DAT schedules to ensure ongoing on-call coverage, and enter response data after an event.

Donor Appreciation Volunteer – The Financial Development Department is seeking volunteers to thank donors for giving generously to the American Red Cross.

Latino Outreach Volunteer – The Preparedness Department is seeking volunteers to go to a variety of events in the Latino community and have conversations with individuals and families about the importance of being prepared. Must be fluent in Spanish.

Current volunteers can view full job descriptions and express interest in any of these opportunities on Volunteer Connection or by emailing Kelly.Clark2@redcross.org.

Cheers to all Red Cross volunteers – both new and veteran – in 2015!

Lisa Joyslin,
American Red Cross Minnesota Region Volunteer Director

*According to the Independent Sector’s estimated value of volunteer time of $22.55 per hour.

Celebrating Volunteer Service

RedCrossAnnual-089 — The 2014 American Red Cross Northern Minnesota Volunteer Awards at the ceremony in June. Photo credit: Andy King.

This past June 24 was a special night during our 2014 Volunteer Recognition event. That night 21 volunteers from our Red Cross region were honored for their outstanding service.

These volunteers were recognized for their generous dedication of fulfilling the Red Cross mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.

These volunteers take time to teach, prepare and help their neighbors. They are among 1,100 volunteers giving time and expertise in a Red Cross region that serves more than 4.3 million people in 43 counties in northern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

RedCrossAnnual-098 — Audrey Waage, center. Photo credit: Andy King.

They are moms and dads, high school and college students, and friends and family members who care about their communities and are ready to serve every day. Some of the words that describe these individuals include: “humble, compassionate, fearless, enthusiastic, creative thinkers, engagers, teachers, and mentors.”

The Red Cross thanks this year’s volunteer honorees and all of those who give time to help others often in their greatest time of need.

The 2014 volunteer recipients and their award categories:

Red Cross volunteer award recipient Sara Schomburg (c). Photo credit: Andy King. — Sara Schomburg, center. Photo credit: Andy King.

Diane Dunder: Distinguished Volunteer Leader of the Year Award

Outstanding Volunteer Group Award: St. Croix Valley Disaster Health Nurses Anne Headrick, Mary Menter, Patricia Bell, Maria Saterbak, Millie Jones, Nancy Mortwedt, Jane Norbin, Cheryl Blythe, Flora Holmberg, Roger Jacobson, Dianne Polasik, Iona Holsten and Vonnie Thomas

Tami Jensen: “Behind-the-Scenes” Volunteer Award

Sara Schomburg: Youth Volunteer Award

Audrey Waage: Disaster Volunteer Award

St. Croix Valley Disaster Health Nurses. Photo credit: Andy King.

Dave Adriansen: Health and Safety Recognition Award

Pj Doyle and Kathryn Schmidt: Outreach Volunteer Award

Randi De Mel: Rookie Volunteer-of-the-Year Award

A region-wide committee comprised of staff and volunteers reviewed the nominees in each category and voted on a winner.

Post by Eduardo Sanchez Beltran/American Red Cross. Click here to learn more about Red Cross volunteer opportunities.

Small Gestures, Big Rewards

Post by Kelly Vetter/American Red Cross

Kelly Vetter holds and cherishes her grandma Nana's 10-year American Red Cross volunteer pin. Photo credit: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross — Kelly Vetter holds and cherishes her grandma Nana’s American Red Cross 10-year volunteer service pin. Photo credit: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

If you were lucky enough to have known my grandmother Eileen, warmly referred to by her eight grandchildren as Nana, you would know that volunteering at the American Red Cross was a perfect role for her. She was a “people-person,” and I think of the Red Cross as the ultimate “people-organization.”

My Nana made you feel like you were the most important person in the room. That must explain why each of us grandchildren can proudly proclaim, “I was her favorite.” I envision the people she sat with, perhaps after donating blood or after learning the steps they would need to take to recover from a home fire, left the building knowing without question that they mattered to her and that they mattered to the Red Cross. She could sit, listen and empathize better than anyone else I know.

And isn’t it surprising how a few simple words or actions can lighten one’s suffering? One of the many lessons I learned from my Nana is that small gestures can be as powerful and meaningful as grand gestures. The finer details, which my Nana never overlooked and which the Red Cross is so good at (being available day or night, offering an assuring smile and hug, treating every person’s experience like the lead story of the day), can produce such great comfort.

Kelly Vetter's grandma Nana holds her 2-day old granddaughter. Also pictured is Kelly's grandpa Walter. Photo provided courtesy of Kelly. — Grandma Nana holds baby Kelly, only 2 days old. Also pictured is Kelly’s grandpa Walter. Photo provided courtesy of Kelly Vetter.

I began working for the Red Cross just a few short months ago. I am impressed daily by the dedicated staff and volunteers I meet here and now know why my kind-hearted Nana fit in so well with this organization. I keep my Nana’s 10 Years pin displayed on the bulletin board next to me. I wish I could ask her more about her Red Cross story, but she lost her battle with cancer 10 years ago. So instead, I will build my own Red Cross story and know that she would be proud to see that I, too, am contributing to the mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering, a mission that she carried out every day through small gestures.

Tell your Red Cross story.

Eden Prairie Students Lift Military Heroes Hearts

(R to L) Students Shea Brennan, Jenny Leestma, and Bella Wheeler, with regional executive Phil Hansen (far left). — (R to L) Students Shea Brennan, Jenny Leestma, and Bella Wheeler, with Red Cross northern Minnesota regional executive Phil Hansen (far left).

Last fall, two Eden Prairie High School business clubs engaged their entire school in a massive Holiday Mail for Heroes card-signing event for the American Red Cross.

The group, led by seniors Jenny Leestma, Bella Wheeler and Shea Brennan, worked with their principal to distribute blank cards to each homeroom, hang posters and banners throughout the school building, and even created a program where students could sign multiple cards in exchange for required volunteer hours. In the end, the students collected over 1,500 cards for deployed soldiers and veterans and estimated that 1,000 students participated in the project.

After the event, students read through the signed cards to ensure all messages were appropriate. “We saw that [the project] touched the students when we began to read through the cards and saw the amazing thought and effort put into so many of them,” says Jenny Leestma, one of the student leaders of the project. “It was truly a blessing to contribute to such an amazing program!”

Holiday Mail for Heroes is an annual event coordinated by the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Department, which supports members of the U.S. Military, its veterans and their families. This past year, people from across the country sent a record number of 2.1 million cards, including the cards from the Eden Prairie High School students.

The American Red Cross also has additional way for groups of youth to get involved with our programs. For more information please visit our website.

Thank you to the students at Eden Prairie High School for enthusiastically participating in Holiday Mail for Heroes, and extra thanks to the DECA/BPA students who worked so hard to make this year’s event a huge success!

Story by Lisa Joyslin, Volunteer Resources Director, American Red Cross Northern Minnesota Region. Photo credit: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

Dan’s 50 Years of Red Cross Service

Some people are motivated to volunteer for the Red Cross because of their own personal experience receiving Red Cross services, while others find motivation through the help the Red Cross has given to a family member or a friend. During the past 50 years, Dan Peitso has found his motivation through the personal connections he’s made while helping others.

Dan Peitso has been an American Red Cross volunteer for 50 years.

A vivid example was when Dan was called to help a family that had survived a house fire. One family member was in shock from what happened. Dan realized that the man was a Vietnam veteran who was traumatized because the fire reminded him of his experience in Vietnam. Dan, also a Vietnam veteran, recognized the common background and established a connection with the man, helping him through the trauma of the fire.

“It’s moments like these, making personal connections during difficult times, that are my favorite part and greatest reward of serving with the Red Cross,” says Dan.

A half century ago, Dan started working with the Red Cross as a lifeguard and a water safety instructor. He worked his way through college by teaching water safety, and even continued this work while overseas in the military. Once he returned to the states, he became a board member at the former Red Cross chapter in Anoka, Minnesota, and also became involved in volunteering for disaster services and deploying to national disasters, such as Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Dan has also worked in mass care services and damage assessment, and has been instrumental in assisting with the Response Technology Team in times of humanitarian crisis.

Dan Peitso received this 50 Years pin from the American Red Cross.

Long-time Red Cross volunteer, Dave Schoeneck, knows Dan well after years of receiving calls in the middle of the night when the Red Cross is often responding to fire disasters. “At first glance, Dan can come across as a gruff, grizzled veteran of the Red Cross, but beneath that exterior is a warm, compassionate and dedicated volunteer.”

Dan’s dedication to the Red Cross continued even as he survived treatment for cancer. “I’m grateful for the continued support and understanding I received from the Red Cross throughout my illness,” says Dan.

Dan’s looking forward to celebrating another half-century mark: 50 years of marriage. Throughout that entire time, Dan has been a valued member of the Red Cross, assisting in a wide range of disaster situations. His decades worth of devotion and commitment to the Red Cross and its mission to alleviate human suffering is greatly appreciated.

Click here to learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer. Story by Lia Capaldini, Communications Intern, American Red Cross Northern Minnesota Region.

Regional Volunteer Award Winners Go Above and Beyond (Part 3)

(Part 3 of 3)

This is our third and final blog post featuring the 2013 Regional Volunteer Award Winners. This year’s winners show the dedication and passion that many volunteers have for the Red Cross mission to alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. We thank these and all Red Cross volunteers for their service.

Judi Blomberg – Volunteer of the Year: Outreach

Judy Blomberg

In the past year Judi has been an integral part of the Preparedness program, filling an important gap by skillfully presenting preparedness topics to community groups. Judi is an excellent representative of the Red Cross, often going above and beyond by finding ways to add more value to her audience by tailoring her material. She also serves as a mentor to other volunteers, frequently sharing her ideas and experience with new presenters.

Christina Hujanen – Volunteer of the Year: Rookie

When you look at Christina’s service to the Red Cross and our communities, it’s hard to believe she’s only been involved for one year! She began serving on the Northland Board of Directors in July of 2012, and quickly became trained in disaster response. When Superstorm Sandy hit Christina deployed 3 times to assist East Coast residents as a caseworker, serving away from home for over eight weeks. In addition she is on-call for local disasters and has responded to a number of single family fires, displaying compassion and willingness to ensure that clients receive the referrals needed recovering from disaster.

Interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer? Now, there’s an app for that. Check our our new Team Red Cross app and get started today.

Regional Volunteer Award Winners Go Above and Beyond (Part 2)

Here’s part 2 in our 3 part series on our region’s 2013 volunteer award winners. This year’s winners are dedicated and inspiring supporting of the American Red Cross. Please join us in congratulating and thanking these wonderful people for their service.

patbovee

Pat Bovee – Volunteer of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Pat goes very quietly about making a difference every day in our community through her Red Cross work. She has been a valued member of the St. Croix Valley Chapter Board of Directors for the past 6 years and has championed the chapter’s fundraising efforts as Chair of the Philanthropy Committee and Chair of the Evening In Red Special event. This past year the Evening in Red raised nearly $70,000 for the Red Cross!

Terry Sluss – Volunteer of the Year: Disaster

Terry is a volunteer who continually goes above and beyond to serve the Red Cross and his community. He has worked hard to build a strong cohort of volunteers in the North Star Chapter, even hosting Disaster Action Team meetings in his home and skillfully mentoring new volunteers. In the past year, Terry responded to both the Duluth Floods and Superstorm Sandy, representing the Red Cross as a government liaison. He is a great spokesperson for the Red Cross and often assists with both volunteer recruitment and fundraising. Most recently, Terry was selected as the Deputy Chair for the Regional Disaster Leadership team, a role in which he can spread his expertise and leadership throughout the Northern Minnesota Region.

Charles Anderson – Volunteer of the Year: Health and Safety

Charles has been volunteering with the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team since its inception over 40 years ago. He continues to be a vital resource to team members and staff, and was particularly helpful during the staffing transition this past year. On countless occasions he has come into the office to assist with cleaning equipment, new member interviews, and a variety of other tasks. Charles is a strong advocate for team members and is always looking for ways to get others involved in new events or in new ways. He is a strong mentor for team members who are new to the field and to the Red Cross.

Interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer? Now, there’s an app for that. Check our our new Team Red Cross app and get started today.

Regional Volunteer Award Winners Go Above and Beyond (Part 1)

Part 1 of 3

Red Cross volunteers are truly amazing. In order to give special recognition to those who continually go above and beyond, each year we undertake a thorough nomination process to select an elite group of volunteers to receive our Regional Volunteer Awards. This year’s winners are all dedicated, inspiring supporters of the Red Cross, and we’d like to introduce you to them through a series of three blog posts. Please join us in congratulating and thanking these wonderful volunteers!

Red Cross Distinguished Volunteer of the Year Karen Campion on deployment. — Red Cross Distinguished Volunteer Leader of the Year, Karen Campion, on deployment.

Karen Campion
Distinguished Volunteer Leader

Karen is a kind and compassionate leader who brings a wealth of skills to both the Twin Cities Area Chapter and the Northern Minnesota Region. In the past year she led Disaster Assessment teams during the Duluth flooding response, served as a Human Resources consultant and Staff Relations Lead within Emergency Services, and worked with the Regional Advisory Team to develop and implement the new disaster leadership structure. She is an instructor and also regularly deploys both locally and nationally; in the past year she and husband Rick served for two weeks as Emergency Response Vehicle drivers after Hurricane Isaac, and also assisted after the Northern Minnesota Wildfires.

Disaster Mental Health Team
Outstanding Volunteer Group

Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer Leslie Hong accepts award on behalf of the regional team. From left to right - Phil Hansen, Regional CEO; Mark Capaldini, Board Chair; Leslie Hong and Josh Lockwood, Red Cross Regional CEO for Greater New York Area. — Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer Leslie Hong accepts award on behalf of the regional team. From left to right – Phil Hansen, Regional CEO; Mark Capaldini, Board Chair; Leslie Hong and Josh Lockwood, Red Cross Regional CEO for Greater New York Area.

The Disaster Mental Health (DMH) group is a quiet pillar of support among disaster clients, volunteers, and staff across the region. Anytime there is a situation that requires emotional support – whether that is a fire, loss of a pet, loss of life, stress, or a need for comfort and resources – the DMH team is ready to serve at all hours of the day and night. Volunteers from this team are called out on every major national disaster. Within the region, the DMH team calls each volunteer when they return from deployment – which included over 130 calls during the Superstorm Sandy response. This group often goes unnoticed because their work is confidential, but for those who are served, they are truly invaluable.

Ellie Deans, Ian Deans, Hannah Holstein, Natalie St. Martin
St. Croix Valley Chapter Board Members – Youth Volunteer Leadership

St. Croix Valley Chapter Board Members and Youth Volunteer Leaders (from left to right) - Natalie St. Martin, Ellie Deans, Hannah Holsten, and Ian Deans. — St. Croix Valley Chapter Board Members and Youth Volunteer Leaders (from left to right) – Natalie St. Martin, Ellie Deans, Hannah Holsten, and Ian Deans.

Natalie, Ellie, Hannah and Ian serve on St. Croix Valley Chapter Board of Directors. They also support other service and program activities in our community as Red Cross volunteers. Their volunteer activities have included Holiday Mail for Heroes, driving the Emergency Response Vehicle, and assisting with fundraising events like the Evening in Red and FORE the Red Golf Tournament. These four young people are a wonderful example of youth involvement with the American Red Cross.

Interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer? Now, there’s an app for that. Check our our new Team Red Cross app and get started today.

Disaster Gets Me Going

I’ve always admired seeing people respond to disasters and I’ve wished that I could be right there with them. It’s hard for me to put my finger on why I’ve felt that way, but there’s something about arriving early to a scene of a disaster that gets me going.

Terry Menge training for disaster response in Minnesota, June 2013. (Photo courtesy of Terry) — Terry Menge, wearing his Red Cross disaster response vest, demonstrates doing Red Cross disaster relief paperwork, Minnesota, June 2013. (Photo provided courtesy of Terry.)

As a child I was intrigued by disasters, whether it was a tornado, flood, hurricane or earthquake. But after school my life took different direction and I went into sales where I’ve spent much of my career, working mostly at AT&T and then with StayWell, a partnership organization with the American Red Cross. Several years ago, I accepted a health and safety services sales position with the Red Cross. This brought me closer to my life-long interest in disaster relief response. And soon I applied to become–and was accepted to be–a Red Cross Emergency Services Volunteer who responds to disasters in the Northern Minnesota Red Cross Region.

To date, I’ve had the opportunity to respond to three fire disasters: one duplex fire and two single family resident fires. It’s hard to explain, but getting a call to respond at 3:00 in the morning gets my adrenalin flowing as I never know what to expect until I get there. One of my first lessons learned was to bring my reading glasses as I felt very much unprepared in assisting my response partner in filling out forms and having to admit out loud “I can’t read this without my glasses!” How embarrassing was that! Well, never again. The next day I went straight to Office Max and bought some supplies to better prepare myself for the next response. I’m happy to report that it’s going more smoothly now that I can read the Red Cross disaster documents.

My experience with the disaster team members has been very positive. I’m learning new skills by taking training courses, such as Disaster Assessment, Disaster Action Team Simulation, Client Case-Work, Shelter Fundamentals, Psychological First Aid, and Emergency Response Vehicle Operation.

Being a Red Cross disaster volunteer has many benefits. Having first-hand disaster response experience, for example, has added credibility to my social and business speaking presentations. But for me what’s most rewarding is being able to help people get through a difficult time. I’ve learned that a hug and kind word gives them strength to move on from tragedy. For me, each call to action brings its own unique circumstances. I’m grateful for those who’ve welcomed me to use their home, car, or other space for warmth on a winter night while I’m helping their neighbors affected by disaster. I enjoy the human connections and can confirm that the comfort we bring, the smiles we create and the words of thanks we receive are some of the reasons that I’m a disaster volunteer.

Guest Blog Post by Terry Menge, Prepardness, Health & Safety Services Sales Manager, American Red Cross Northern Minnesota Region (AND Red Cross Volunteer Disaster Relief Worker)

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