April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, a perfect time to thank our dedicated Central Florida volunteers for helping people affected by everyday emergencies. These volunteers know that even in the face of the coronavirus, families still depend on us each day — whether they need relief and care after disasters, support coping with the unique challenges of military life, or lifesaving blood. Helping people ‘weather storms’ is at the heart of what we do, and these Red Crossers do it extremely well!
Donna Ahnert
Home Chapter: Florida’s Space Coast
Donna has a heart for working with youth programs, including Red Cross Cubs in local high schools. With 4+ decades as a volunteer, she says, "I love teaching, working with students and watching them fall in love with the Red Cross mission." With her support, we have been able to add nearly 300 youth volunteers in Flagler, Volusia and Brevard Counties.
Karen Anson
Home Chapter: Tampa Bay
Karen recently transitioned to our Service to Armed Forces (SAF) team in Tampa after starting with the Disaster Action Team in New York. She's been a consistent force in assisting with military family casework, and remains committed to her role during these challenging times.
Bonnie Jacobs
Home Chapter: Southwest Florida
Bonnie always makes us smile -- and who can't use a smile these days! She’s worn many hats over the years, including serving as a volunteer liaison for government operations and emergency management. These days, she is serving in a regional volunteer leadership position, focused on keeping our DAT teams informed and safe during the COVID-19 environment.
Randal Lautenberg
Home Chapter: Greater Orlando
Randal is a devoted Red Cross volunteer who has consistently gone above the call of duty since 2017. Randal came to us after a career in law enforcement and says he is "extremely thankful to continue to help people." Currently, he’s using his talents to support our teams in disaster workforce engagement and volunteer services, along with mentoring other volunteers.
Ryan Pikunis
Home Chapter: Mid-Florida
Ryan has volunteered with the Red Cross for nearly 5 years. He's the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Mid-Florida Chapter covering 6 counties and Disaster Action Team coordinator. "It's a lot of work, but I love it," he said. Ryan and team are working tirelessly to deliver the Red Cross humanitarian mission during this COVID-19 crisis.
Susan Stauber
Home Chapter: Tampa Bay
Even through this COVID crisis, Susan, one of our Service to Armed Forces (SAF) volunteers, remains committed to her role of casework. She now works from her home gazebo. She says working in the nursing profession has helped her to be empathetic to each individual's case. It has also prepared her to be there for our service members and speaking with their families.
Doug Stewart
Home Chapter: Greater Orlando
Doug is a huge part of our Volunteer Services squad and our Disaster Action Team -- now accomplishing much of this work virtually. "Although we rely much more on technology during COVID-19, our emotional aspect and Red Cross mission stays the same," he noted.
James Witherspoon
Home Chapter: Greater Orlando
It's volunteers like James who selflessly enable the mission of the Red Cross. James admits he didn't know much about the Red Cross when he joined three years ago, but says, "It just blew me away to learn what the organization does from year to year." Now he’s a leader in several lines of service, lending a hand to community relations, disaster and business operation.
Please join us in saying a huge THANK YOU to these outstanding Red Crossers, and all our valuable volunteers for their dedicated service. Their commitment is unwavering, even during uncertain times. To join this terrific team, visit redcross.org/volunteer.
