Contact: Martin Gagliano
Telephone: 669.209.5266
martin.gagliano@redcross.org

American Red Cross volunteers can make a difference in the lives of military families through emergency communication and community outreach
 

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2024 — The American Red Cross provides support to our U.S. military community at every step of their career — from the time a service member takes their oath to navigating life as a veteran and each event in between. You can find Red Cross support of military communities across the globe at military hospitals, on installations locally and overseas and through local chapter offices in every state.

This month, the Red Cross is inviting people around the country to turn your appreciation into action. For those with a military background or just a heart for military and veteran communities, opportunities to volunteer and support are available in the Northern California Coastal Region.

“The Red Cross serves our nation’s military personnel and their families, including active duty, National Guard and Reserve, as well as our veterans,” said Nikki Rowe, Service to the Armed Forces Director for the Northern California Coastal Region. “Red Cross volunteers are at the heart of all this work. Thousands of volunteers help deliver services at Red Cross offices across the country and in more than one hundred military installations around the world.”

ANSWER EMERGENCY CALLS WITH THE HERO CARE NETWORK. The Red Cross Hero Care Network is a free 24/7 support system for military and veteran families when they are facing life-changing events like the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a medical emergency or even a financial crisis. The Red Cross is the only organization to provide this emergency messaging service to separated and active-duty military families.

• Volunteers help serve members each day by answering calls, delivering messages and opening cases to support connections to additional resources.
• Over the last year, the Red Cross is proud to have assisted over 87,000 families with emergency situations, and nearly 136,000 families received critical community services.

HELP BUILD STRONG FAMILIES AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES. The Red Cross welcomes volunteers in all of our service areas. However, at this time, there are a few roles that need to be filled most urgently:

• Service to the Armed Forces Community Relations and Outreach Lead: Lead the Red Cross team in engaging with community partners to champion support to the military community.
• Resiliency Program Volunteer Facilitator: The Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces offers virtual resiliency workshops to help guide members of the military and veteran communities on various topics centered around coping and communication skills.
• Hero Care Caseworker: If you are someone with strong listening skills and the ability to work with culturally diverse populations, you can help provide a critical link for families during emergency situations by becoming a Hero Care Network volunteer.

VOLUNTEER TODAY. Turn your appreciation into action by volunteering with the Red Cross today.
You can change lives like many of our volunteers does every day:

• Crystal Sims was commissioned as an officer in the US Army for 14 years and served as Physical Therapist while she was on active duty until she was unable to due to health reasons; but that didn't stop her.
  Her passion to help others led her to join the Red Cross and volunteer at the Presidio Clinic in Monterey, CA. Working alongside military and civilian staff, Crystal had the opportunity to provide guidance and mentorship, drawing from own her personal experience.
• “You get satisfaction knowing that you’re helping people. You don’t get a paycheck, but you are rewarded in different ways. You give your time knowing that you are doing something valuable,” said Darryl McCoullough, who serves as a Red Cross volunteer for more than 30 years at the the David Grant U.S. Air Force Medical Center’s McClellan Outpatient Satellite Clinic.

Visit www.redcross.org/saf for full information about programs that support military communities.

About the American Red Cross:
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 or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

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