We continue
our series asking leaders in service to others the central question of "Why do you serve" with an answer from Lorraine Nordlinger in Arlington, VA. What I love about Lorraine's service is how broad it is. Her efforts with her daughter's
girl scout troop, the
American Society of Training and Development,
USCG Auxiliary,
Daughters of the American Revolution, and even her own neighborhood committee show us the many forms that service can take, the many missions that need the talent's of those who care in order to succeed, and the many ways that any person can find a way to give back that suits their interests, time, and talents. I specifically asked Lorraine, "
Why do you serve as a volunteer with the
American Red Cross?" I appreciate her story below, particularly at a time when the Red Cross is doing so much to assist the people of Haiti (and around the world). To those reading, consider the Red Cross and its missions as a place to dedicate your time and talents, and as always, thank you for your service!
I serve as a (volunteer) Senior Business Analyst and Journalist at the American Red Cross national headquarters because:
Although I had donated blood a time or two at American Red Cross Blood drives, my most impressionable interaction with the American Red Cross came as I lost most all of my belongings, and nearly my life, when a tornado destroyed my home in Raleigh, NC in 1988.
At the time, I was a graduate student who had just embarked on a new business venture, and money was tight. The day before the tornado, I had gone to the grocery store and stocked my pantry for the next few weeks. Then the food, the pantry, the kitchen, and my whole apartment were destroyed by a terrible wind storm that ripped the top floor of my building, up-ended my unit, and left bare floors with -no walls attached- exposed. Concrete slabs had collapsed on one another like pancakes.
My glasses, the nightstand on which they were resting, as well as the entire bedroom, had blown away. But I could see that I was lucky to have survived.
The Red Cross gave me immediate assistance to help purchase a few items of clothing and some food, so I could go about trying to get my life back together. The next day, I went back to the remnants of my home to search through rubble for a lone photo, a memento from a trip or a loved one, or piece of clothing that was not ripped or stained. A Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle pulled up on that cold November day and served my neighbors and me a hot meal of tasty beef stew and hot chocolate that warmed and nourished us enough to press on.
Nearly 10 years later, I went to work for the American Red Cross Biomedical Services National Headquarters. As an employee, I met countless people that were touched by the Red Cross and its services: people who would not have survived without blood transfusions; a baby who stopped breathing while sitting on Santa’s lap at the mall, but survived because Santa had taken a Red Cross CPR class and saved the child; an elderly woman who assumed her cousin had been killed in the Holocaust but was found by the Red Cross tracing service, a young girl who had been born with a defective heart valve and would not have survived if she had not received a donor heart valve from a grieving family…..
It’s been over 7 years since I left my employment with the Red Cross, but I have always remembered the lives that were saved and touched by its caring volunteers, staff, and people who had received Red Cross training.
Once my children were both in school most of the day, I started to get the itch to utilize my professional management and training skills once more. As I began to explore opportunities, I learned that the Red Cross has had to make drastic budgetary cuts, and some of the services they provide might be threatened if they cannot expand their network of volunteers and donations.
I came to help because America needs the American Red Cross to work.
