1.  How long have you been a volunteer?

I started in 1997 after I graduated from college and had moved to Columbus, Ohio.  I didn’t know anyone there so I was looking for a way to meet people. 

I’ve volunteered at the National Capital Chapter in D.C. for about three years.
 

2.  What do you do as a Red Cross volunteer?

I am the D.C. Disaster Action Team (DAT) coordinator.  The coordinator manages and schedules the 5 D.C. DATs.  I’m also a team-leader for a DAT.    Each team is on-call one week out of the month and weekend coverage is also rotated.  We usually have at least one call per shift – sometimes we even have two calls to respond to simultaneously.  
 

3.  What else have you done within the Red Cross (at the chapter or national level)?

I wasn’t involved in the Pentagon response but did some work in the Red Cross anthrax response.  
 

4.  What was your first experience with the Red Cross?

My first exposure to Red Cross was via lifeguard training in high school.  But I really didn’t know about all of the other things Red Cross did until I went to Columbus, Ohio.  

Volunteering at the Red Cross in Columbus was very different than the volunteer experience I’ve gained in DC.  In Columbus, I manned the First Aid booth at OSU basketball games just in case someone got hurt.  No one ever did.  Columbus didn’t have many house fires to respond to.  

Since I’ve moved to DC I’ve gained a lot experience - we are responding 5-6 days a week to house fires.  In the last two weeks I’ve been on three calls.  

As a DAT coordinator and team leader, it’s been hard to coordinate and ensure that there are enough volunteers assigned to the on-call teams.  
It’s also a challenging to try to provide professional level service from volunteers.  You have to keep all the volunteer contact information current and scheduling can be difficult to do.  
 

5.  Why do you continue to volunteer?

I really enjoy this work and happy to be doing this.  It’s a great because it is really hands-on and I am helping people who really need help.

If my house had caught fire, I would know lots of people who would give me a place to stay.  Responding to fires in DC has made me realize that some people really have no one that they can call.

You really do something when someone really needs assistance.  It’s like a rush – a little adrenaline gets going and there is a lot of problem-solving which I enjoy.  Another nice thing about the Red Cross is that, if you move, you can go to another chapter and still be able to volunteer pretty easily.  
 

6.  What is your most memorable Red Cross experience?

I was at a fire where 2 little girls were killed.  Because there were fatalities, the fire was treated as a crime scene and the family couldn’t go back into the house.  It was extremely challenging to provide for the family.  We were there for 6-8 hours.  There really isn’t a lesson to be learned from it - just one of the most difficult calls I’ve ever been on.  
 

7.  Any closing thoughts?

I was disheartened when the Red Cross received all the bad press about their 9/11 fund raising.  I’m not involved at the national level where all of that decision-making goes on - but I know the services that we provide everyday here in DC are essential and it would be bad if the chapters were hurt.  Donating money to your local Red Cross goes a long way.  In the dead of winter, we can help people who have lost their homes to fire because people donate money to the Red Cross.