Media Contact: Martin Gagliano
Telephone: (669) 209-5266
nccrpublicaffairs@redcross.org
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. July 5, 2023 —— The American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter honored 36 local residents and 5 community partners at their annual recognition event for chapter volunteers from Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties on June 3rd.
At the event, Jack McCredie from Alameda County received the chapter’s top honor, the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Leadership. Named after the founder of the Red Cross, the award recognizes a volunteer for their years of service in various leadership positions.
Jack has been a dedicated volunteer with the Red Cross mission since 2009. As a longstanding member of the Disaster Cycle Services team, has provided successful stewardship of many activities over his 14 years of service and held multiple essential leadership and critical positions. He has worked across multiple lines of service and is always looking for opportunities to increase and improve our service delivery. He works tirelessly to expand individual and community preparedness education through several initiatives. Jack is an admired leader whose vital contributions, commitment, and exemplary service have been an inspiration to many.
Barbara Atlas, from Alameda County was also honored with the Regional Volunteer of the Year Award.
Barbara is a tour de force and an exemplary person. She serves as a Community Outreach Coordinator and helps Donor Services Recruitment maintain local support of the Sickle Cell Initiative, even in the absence of a Sickle Cell Account Manager at times. She has spent hours learning our systems and our educational materials to bring insights to the team of Recruitment Account Managers. Barbara also works in the Volunteer Blood Delivery program: every Sunday afternoon she and her partner deliver blood and blood products to our hospital partners and she is a mentor for new Transportation Specialists. She is also a valuable member of the IBEA (Inclusion, Belonging, Equity and Access) Taskforce, working to ensure and amplify diversity and inclusion across our region.
In addition to these prestigious leadership awards, the following awards were given to local volunteers:
“It’s because of the commitment of our volunteers that we are able to support those affected by disasters, ensure there is enough blood supply, arm our community with skills to save lives, provide international humanitarian aid and support our military members and their families,” said Hanna Malak, CEO for the Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. “Thank you for being there for our community every day and for going above and beyond for our humanitarian mission.”
While the annual recognition event spotlights several key Red Cross volunteers, it serves as a celebration to honor the work of all local volunteers who dedicate many hours of service to the Red Cross and their local communities.
Become a Red Cross Volunteer:
Community members can make a difference in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties by becoming a Red Cross volunteer. As this year’s heightened wildfire outlook continues a years-long trend of more frequent and intense climate disasters, volunteers are continually trained to meet the needs of those affected by disasters – providing food, shelter, and comfort to families; and they help local residents prepare for and recover from emergencies of all kinds. Red Cross volunteers also provide assistance to military members, veterans and their families; support the collection of 40% of the nation’s blood; and provide humanitarian aid across the globe. Those interested in finding the right position for their specific skills and talents can visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to get started.
About the American Red Cross of the Bay Area
With local offices in San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, 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/bayarea or call us at (415) 427-8000. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter
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