National Youth Involvement Month is one of the Red Cross National Youth Council’s most exciting and encompassing annual initiatives aiming to celebrate the accomplishments of Red Cross youth and young adult volunteers across the nation. Taking place in November, NYIM has a different theme each year: this year’s theme is “Youth: Heroes in Action.” This National Youth Involvement Month, Red Cross LA celebrates the contributions of exceptional youth and young adult volunteers in the region. 

By Kennedy Benjamin/American Red Cross

Every November, the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region celebrates Youth Involvement Month to acknowledge the 95 youth clubs in the region, and all our youth volunteers dedicated to serving the Red Cross mission. 

May Nicole Cagulada has been volunteering with the Red Cross for over two years, co-founding the Red Cross club at her high school during her sophomore year and months later, being elected as a Board Officer for the International Services (IS) and Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) lines of service. 

In these positions, Cagulada collaborated with club members to take on a wide range of responsibilities, ranging from planning meetings to organizing a campaign to spread awareness about cultural preservation that expanded across two territories in the LA region. 

“Having the courage to start a Red Cross club and getting involved at the regional level was very transformative for me; I was pushed out of my comfort zone to really step up to be a leader, which I don't think I would have gotten anywhere else” said Cagulada.

Being a volunteer has given Cagulada what she described as a “sense of purpose” and provided her with a space to remove herself from the stress of academics. She also credits volunteering for the chance to serve a bigger cause. 

As a Red Cross youth volunteer, Cagulada’s responsibilities expanded — she served as the IS/SAF Executive Board Vice President before becoming a Youth Advisor.

Now a freshman at UCLA, Cagulada says she’s thankful to the Red Cross for shaping her into the person she is today.

Even while navigating the winding road of early adulthood, Cagulada still dedicates as much time as she can to her role as youth advisor to guide other youth volunteers on their Red Cross journey.  

For students who may still be debating whether to join the Red Cross, Cagulada encourages them to make the leap and mobilize their power as a volunteer. 

“You're not going to find these opportunities at school," said Cagulada, "You're only going to find them with the Red Cross, because this is what our mission statement represents."

About the American Red Cross: 

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.