National Volunteer Week is April 12-18 and the American Red Cross is honoring its volunteers throughout the Lowcountry who give their time to help people in need.
Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of volunteers are part of the Red Cross. They respond to fires, teach lifesaving skills like First Aid and CPR, volunteer at Veterans Hospitals, help staff blood drives, and so much more. Here in the Lowcountry, more than 1,100 volunteers help their community.
“We want to take this time during Volunteer Week to thank our incredible volunteers for their service,” said Louise Welch Williams, chief executive officer of the Palmetto SC Region of the American Red Cross. “They help us fulfill our mission, each and every day, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude for their service.”
Last year the Red Cross volunteers of the Lowcountry SC Chapter provided food, shelter, comfort and hope to 674 local families who faced emergency situations. They trained 16,000 people in lifesaving skills and provided 2,500 services to military members, veterans and their families. Volunteers across South Carolina hosted nearly 1,200 blood drives and gave over 118,000 blood and platelet donations.
The Red Cross invites members of the community to sign up today and become a Red Cross volunteer. There are many ways people can get involved. Go to redcross.org/sc to learn more about volunteer opportunities, upcoming orientations, and how to submit a volunteer application.
“I volunteer because every time I help a family that has just suffered a loss due to fire or other disaster I see true relief and gratitude in their smiles,” said Tom Lufkin, a disaster services volunteer in the Lowcountry. “They realize that someone really cares and wants to help. My satisfaction comes from that smile and the hug that always follows.”
Throughout the Lowcountry, the Red Cross is in need of additional disaster service volunteers and volunteer CPR instructors. The Red Cross is especially in need of volunteers that can be trained to be part of the Disaster Action Team and go to the scene of disasters to help provide services to families. These teams visit disaster sites (local, regional, and national) and offer assistance to the victims to help them recover from devastating disasters.
The Red Cross also seeks volunteers throughout South Carolina to serve as donor ambassadors at blood drives. Ambassadors welcome and greet blood donors, assist in registration and offer information about the critical importance of blood donation.
People who might want to volunteer during a disaster should download the Team Red Cross app. This free app allows people to sign up to help, get an overview on basic tasks, and receive notifications about local Red Cross volunteer opportunities.
To support the work of the American Red Cross in the local community, help #LiftTheLowcountry during Lowcountry Giving Day on May 5.
Recent Comments