American Red Cross volunteers recognized for service at Fort Knox ceremony

Story and photos by Kevin Sandell, Communications Volunteer

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Over 20 volunteers who serve within the American Red Cross Kentucky Region were recognized for their service earlier this fall, during a lunchtime ceremony at Fort Knox, the sprawling U.S. Army base south of Louisville. Many of the recognized volunteers had served hundreds or even thousands of hours to Red Cross chapters throughout the state.

Fort Knox is home to the Warrior Warehouse, a function of the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program, and is a building where service members and their families can shop for donated household, clothing, and food items. The warehouse is also the location for the annual “Santa’s Workshop” on base that provides free, donated toys to children of U.S. service members stationed at Fort Knox during the holidays.

One volunteer, who was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for her 14-year service to the South Central Kentucky Chapter of the Red Cross, said the honor is humbling.

Deann Burns (center) received the Volunteer of the Year award at a
Red Cross volunteer recognition ceremony, Aug. 13, at Fort Knox, Ky.
Burns has served as a volunteer for 14 years
with the Red Cross Kentucky Region. 

“I don’t volunteer for the recognition, or for anticipation of an award, or to try and achieve some elusive number of volunteer hours that are tallied each month with the right to brag,” said Deann Burns, a spouse of a former soldier stationed at Fort Knox. “I volunteer to help someone that may be experiencing some challenges and who needs a little extra help, a kind word or a smile, and to make it a little easier for them to make it through the month.” 

During the ceremony, Burns received a silver platter engraved with her name from members of the American Red Cross Kentucky Region and later described her start with the organization. She began volunteering for the Red Cross in 1981 when her husband was stationed in Grafenwoehr, Germany. When she and her husband arrived at Fort Knox in 2010, there were no Red Cross-hosted blood drives on post, and she was initially asked to be a Blood Donor Ambassador to spearhead the program on base.

Five years later, she was asked to be the Santa’s Workshop Coordinator, where she directed volunteer recruitment, toy donations and coordination with off-base stores and charities, marketing and promotion efforts, and distributing toys to Fort Knox families. Her first year in the job, the Santa’s Workshop provided toys and books to over 200 military families. In the years since, the Santa’s Workshop program has grown in popularity, and nearly 300 children are helped every year.

Another volunteer, who achieved 10,956 hours of volunteer service to the Red Cross services on Fort Knox, said her extensive volunteerism came from being an “empty nester” and wanting to give back to the Red Cross.

Amy Grimm (center), a volunteer with the Red Cross at Fort Knox, Ky.,
earned nearly 11,000 hours of volunteer service, and was recognized
for her service during a volunteer ceremony, Aug. 13, at Fort Knox. 

“[Being recognized] is not what drives us to do what we do, but it's nice to be recognized,” said Amy Grimm, a Fort Knox volunteer and military spouse. “All my kids left at the same time and I just didn’t know what to do with my hands … It worked out perfectly that I could dive into this resource that I’m really trying to assist families with versus staying at home and doing nothing.”

Grimm added that she’s a firm believer of “doing something positive” with her time and that it “fills [my] soul.”

A Red Cross youth volunteer, Gabe Fulkerson, was recognized during the ceremony for his outstanding work with the International Humanitarian Law Youth Action Campaign. The Glendale, Kentucky native is a first-year aeronautics student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, and said he volunteers for multiple reasons.

“I volunteer with the Red Cross to improve myself as a person and because I enjoy helping people,” Fulkerson said.

The International Human Law Youth Action Campaign empowers high school and college-aged students to learn about laws that govern armed conflict, known as international humanitarian law. Youth volunteers educate the American public on humanitarian law through peer-to-peer education campaigns and training.

Fulkerson added that other students should volunteer with the Red Cross because doing so “shows leadership, cooperation, and compassion, all of which are skills colleges are looking for.”

Other volunteers recognized during the ceremony received Exceptional Volunteer Service Awards and Time-in-Service Awards for volunteering with Red Cross chapters across the state.

Red Cross volunteers from throughout the Kentucky Region were
recognized for exceptional volunteer service during a
recognition ceremony, Aug.13, at Fort Knox. 

A better night’s sleep for Fort Knox soldiers, courtesy of Tempur-Pedic and the American Red Cross

By Kevin Sandell, American Red Cross Volunteer

A good night's rest is a proven way to improve health and wellness. It’s especially imperative for U.S. service members as they serve and protect America at locations around the world.

Capt. Kyle Hinzman, commander of the 34th and 905th Military
Police Detachments on Fort Knox, secures a new mattress
atop a vehicle at the American Red Cross’ Warrior Warehouse
on post, Feb. 9. 

Tempur-Pedic and the American Red Cross Kentucky Region partnered to donate 80 new mattresses to U.S. service members and families stationed at Fort Knox, the large U.S. Army post south of Louisville. The in-kind donation from the Lexington, Ky.-based mattress manufacturer allowed soldiers and families in need to receive a new mattress at the Red Cross Warrior Warehouse on post. A group of military police soldiers stationed at Fort Knox even helped load the mattresses into each vehicle waiting in line.

For Yvonne Plough, the Red Cross’ Volunteer Engagement Lead at the Warrior Warehouse, seeing soldiers volunteer to help those in need is a tangible way to pay it forward. “[This is] soldiers helping soldiers. We all had a consideration at one point where we needed help, so when we receive help, we should give it forward,” Plough said.

Tempur-Pedic donated the queen-sized mattresses to the American Red Cross to distribute to service members or their families on Fort Knox, and has done so for several years, according to John Matthews, a Red Cross Senior Regional Program Specialist. The Red Cross works with unit chaplains and commanders to nominate enlisted service members E-6 and below in their units to receive a new mattress. Soldiers in the paygrades of E-1 to E-4 are junior enlisted service members, and soldiers in the paygrades of E-5 to E-6 are noncommissioned officers who typically manage junior enlisted service members in day-to-day operations. Each nominated soldier must verify they will not resell the mattresses, nor will they receive more than one mattress per year. 

Soldiers from the 34th and 905th Military Police Detachments
at Fort Knox, Ky. haul new mattresses from inside the
American Red Cross Warrior Warehouse, Feb. 9.

According to a Tempur-Pedic press release from January 2023, the company has donated more than 228,000 mattresses to charities since 2011, including veterans homes and military bases, homeless shelters, fire stations, and the American Red Cross.

A group of eight soldiers from the post’s 34th Military Police Detachment and the 905th Military Working Dog Detachment volunteered to help move the mattresses from inside the warehouse and load them into each waiting vehicle. For 1st Lt. Davis Johns, the Executive Officer for both detachments, the chance to volunteer with the Red Cross helps others understand their profession better.

“I feel like it’s part of our job being military police,” Johns said. “Our job is to protect and serve the people of the installation, and this is just one of the ways we can do that, even if it’s not in a law enforcement capacity.”

The commander of both detachments, Capt. Kyle Hinzman, said many of the detachments’ soldiers have volunteered with previous Red Cross volunteer opportunities on post, and relished the chance to do so again distributing mattresses. He said at least four soldiers in the unit have earned the military’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal in the last two years for their volunteerism efforts.

Soldiers with the 34th and 905th Military Police Detachments
at Fort Knox, Ky., load a mattress into a waiting vehicle during
 a free mattress distribution event at Fort Knox, Feb. 9.

“Doing something like this gives a [better] view that we can be part of positive support to the community as opposed to just showing up at someone’s house when they’re having a really bad day,” Hinzman said.

As she and the other soldiers loaded mattresses into vehicles, Staff Sgt. Joann Cassitty, an operations noncommissioned officer with the 34th MP Detachment, said she and her soldiers are “always ready to help.” She called the American Red Cross’ programs on Fort Knox “amazing,” and wished that every installation had comparable services.

By day’s end, all 80 mattresses were claimed - tied onto vehicle roofs or slid into trunks, much to the visible satisfaction of those receiving one.

Fort Knox blood drives bring soldiers and local community together

 By Kevin Sandell, American Red Cross volunteer

U.S. Army ROTC cadets pose with their gauze-wrapped arms after donating blood during a 2023 blood drive at Fort Knox.
Fort Knox hosts over 4,500 cadets each summer as part of Cadet Summer Training.

The American Red Cross bloodmobile is a familiar sight at Fort Knox, the large U.S. Army post south of Louisville and home to nearly 7,500 service members and their families. Blood drives are such popular events at on base, that two were scheduled in the same week with the bloodmobile at one location and a stationary blood drive at another.

“We normally can schedule 36 people in a day,” said Sgt. 1st Class John Lamanna, a medical noncommissioned officer at U.S. Army Human Resources Command. He often coordinates the blood drive and is happy with the community turn out, saying, “Since I have been here, we have maxed that number.”

As part of their regular training for combat, U.S. service members constantly train for medical emergencies, and blood donations are critical to saving patients’ lives. The blood drives on post, however, allow Fort Knox soldiers, families, and other community members to “help people in our own backyard,” Lamanna said. 

For Tammy Ritchie, Account Manager for the American Red Cross Kentucky Region, the blood drives on Fort Knox demonstrate the selfless service of those assigned there. Blood drives are “an act of kindness that impacts more than [service members and their families] know,” Ritchie said. 

Ritchie’s role is coordinating the logistical and administrative aspects of blood drives with organizations that host blood drives throughout Kentucky and providing them with marketing materials to promote their drives. The American Red Cross relies on organizations, businesses, schools, and other locations to host blood drives at locations that make it easy for people to donate blood. 

“Tammy makes the process to coordinate our blood drives very easy,” Lamanna said. “She supplies the personnel and equipment. We provide physical access to sites and approve her dates. We both work to advertise [on Fort Knox]. And things run smoothly from there.”

Bloodmobile parked in front of U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Jan. 11.
Fort Knox frequently hosts blood drives supporting the American Red Cross. 

Army Master Sgt. Heather Denby, a senior noncommissioned officer at U.S. Army Human Resources Command, donated blood on the bloodmobile during her lunch break. Although she described being uneasy in medical settings, she said, “the Red Cross [staff] always makes me feel at ease.” She added that she’s donated blood “a whole bunch” since joining the Army in 2003. “I’ve always felt a sense of obligation to donate,” Denby said. “If you have the ability to give blood and potentially save someone else’s life, without really even sacrificing anything, why wouldn’t you?”

The American Red Cross is facing an emergency blood shortage nationwide as it experiences the lowest number of people giving blood in the last 20 years. The Red Cross supplies blood to 40% of the nation’s hospitals. It also has a close partnership with the Armed Services Blood Program, which is the official military provider of blood products to U.S. armed forces.

In addition to blood drives hosted at places like Fort Knox, the American Red Cross Kentucky Region has four stationary blood donation locations and a multitude of community partners who host throughout the year.

Fort Knox service members bring holiday cheer and toys to Santa’s Workshop

By Kevin Sandell, Red Cross volunteer

Soldiers and families participate in ruck march

Much like Santa hauling his sack of toys to children every Christmas, U.S. Army soldiers assigned to Fort Knox donned their ruck sacks full of new, donated toys and marched to the Santa’s Workshop toy drive on post, in mid-November. For the units involved, participating in the toy donation ruck march was a way to give back to an organization that has contributed to the welfare of service members and their families. 

“As one of the main tenant units on Ft. Knox … it is vitally important to show support within the Ft. Knox community,” said Sgt. 1st Class Derek Koth, with First Army Division East who led a team of soldiers on the march. “Places like the [American] Red Cross and Santa’s Workshop do so much for the soldiers and civilians on post that are in need. More importantly, around the holidays when families are stretched thin and some struggle, this ruck march and giving back to them is the least we can do.”

Santa’s Workshop is a program through Service to the Armed Forces to provide new, unwrapped gifts to military families who are financially insecure during the holidays. Operated entirely by Red Cross volunteers, Santa’s Workshop is a need-based program that allows active and reserve military families at Fort Knox to receive presents for their children through the generosity of donors. In 2022, over 280 children received presents, a nearly 20% increase from 2021.  

“The American Red Cross Fort Knox Office is incredible and the best that I have come across in my career,” said Maj. Tony Ibrahim, commander of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command headquarters company. “Anytime that a HRC soldier or family required assistance, the Red Cross [at Fort Knox] immediately jumped into action to lend a hand.” 

This year, U.S. Army Human Resources Command and First Army Division East were just two of several units, including U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the 19th Engineer Battalion, that conducted ruck marches to support Santa’s Workshop. In 2022, 15 units at Fort Knox voluntarily conducted ruck marches with soldiers, family members, and even their pets to donate toys. Military families from 21 units at Fort Knox were supported by the Santa’s Workshop in 2022. 

U.S. Army soldiers place toys in collection bins 

Both Ibrahim and Koth said their units had participated in the annual toy drive ruck march since at least 2021. They also credited abundant volunteerism and selfless service among their soldiers’ qualities and said the soldiers are “committed to service excellence both at work and outside of work.” Supporting financially-insecure soldiers and their families during the holidays was a top priority for both units, they said. 

Military families can apply for the Santa’s Workshop program through an online application. Families can “shop for” presents from Dec. 4-8, 2023, at the Santa’s Workshop location at the Red Cross Warrior Warehouse on post. Those looking for more information or interested in donating toys, gift cards, or money can contact the Red Cross at 502-624-2163. 

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About the Author: Kevin Sandell is an active-duty soldier at Fort Knox who serves as a communications volunteer with the American Red Cross South Central Kentucky Chapter. He has served in the U.S. Army since 2007 and has also served in Kentucky, New York, Texas, South Carolina, and the Pentagon. He has deployed three times to Afghanistan and Kosovo and is married with four children.

Employee Spotlight: John Matthews, Part 2

John with service members

Less than 6 months on the job, John helped a service member’s family after they had passed away in Iraq. “I worked with the funeral home, the family, and Rolling Thunder,” said John. Rolling Thunder, Inc. is an organization that brings awareness to American Prisoners of War and Missing In Action (POW-MIA) service members. Local chapters have motorcycle groups who escort fallen soldiers. “We have a big Rolling Thunder group in Kentucky. Tremendous group,” said John.

One of John’s favorite memories is delivering birth messages. He delivered 2 messages in Romania and 3 in Poznan. “I designed a birth certificate in Romania…The command was excited taking it to the service member. You can’t send them home unless there’s a medical issue. That was a neat thing they got to do.”

It was important to John to give the service members a sense of home and family while deployed. “I managed to do a makeshift Kentucky Derby party and a book drive,” he said. John’s proudest moment was designing “Billy’s Baseballs” for the entire deployment in Romania.

“There was a kid who, for his bar mitzvah, developed this program to have normal citizens write messages on baseballs of thanks and good wishes to the service members and ship them off. I reached out to Billy, who was a freshman in college at that point, and said would you be willing to send a bunch of baseballs.” Billy agreed and John was able to divide the baseballs among the units on base.

John in Romania

Honoring service members is close to John’s heart. He currently wears 3 bracelets on his arm representing lives of service members. He has a black memorial bracelet for Darrin K. Potter, son of our SAF volunteer, Lynn Romans. Darrin was killed outside Baghdad, Iraq at 24 years old. “Black bracelets are for somebody who has died… Anyone who has passed in combat,” said John.

John also wears two POW-MIA bracelets that are silver. “The tradition (with POW-MIA bracelets) is you wear it until they break, or the service member comes home. If they return home, you are supposed to take it off and mail it back to the family, so they know how many people were wearing the bracelet.”

When John is not deployed, he works from Fort Knox. “[At Fort Knox] I work with the veterans and National Guard. I’m doing yellow ribbon events to send National Guard off to deployment. I make sure the needs are met around here. I also teach international humanitarian law and I work with the youth action campaign.”

We are so happy to have John on our team and helping our service members at Fort Knox and around the world! #SAF

Employee Spotlight: John Matthews, Part 1

 

W. John Matthews III, MPA

Did you know the American Red Cross is the only Red Cross that has the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF)? John Matthews is our Senior Regional Program Specialist and has deployed twice: Romania (Germany) and Poznan (Poland). He has seen firsthand the impact we have. “For many of these foreign troops, they have never seen this in their lives. Everything from the canteen outside my office with snacks and the hygiene items. They are coming up and saying ‘This is free? I can just take some?’ I said yes. That’s why we are here.”

In Romania, John got acquainted with some British troops who started taking notes about SAF. “They were so fascinated with the idea that we’re the ones who do emergency messaging,” he said. John managed over 575 cases of emergency messages through our Hero Care Network while deployed to both countries. The network enables us to provide critical services to military members, veterans and their families all over the world. These vital services include responding to emergency needs for food, clothing, and shelter, referrals to counseling services, and information on veterans’ cemeteries and burial benefits.

With a history in emergency management, John started with our team in 2018. “I had experience working with the military and military families. This seemed like a good fit. I came into the position learning about the oldest arm of the American Red Cross. It’s been a fascinating ride.”

John with volunteer in Romania

Here Comes Santa's Workshop!

L to R: Christina Rivas, Lori  Dowgielewicz and
Jenny Markovich

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Our elves at Santa’s Workshop are gearing up for another magical season of giving. Lori Dowgielewicz and Christina Rivas are the Red Cross volunteer co-leads for Santa’s Workshop at Fort Knox. Lori is a retired veteran and Christina is active duty. They both arrived on base last summer and wanted to see about volunteer opportunities. They found Red Cross and May Giulitto, our Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) Director.

“I always thought the Red Cross was just blood drives. In the army, I gave blood as much as I could… Being here, it’s fulfilling. I bring my daughter to volunteer with me. Instilling in her the importance of giving time and talents as a mother is rewarding,” said Lori.

Santa’s Workshop provides toys for military families who are financially insecure during the holiday season. Soldiers and spouses shop our inventory for their children. “Every gift to families is donated by someone else. We take donations all year long… We have 55-gallon drum barrels we sign out to units and take collections in. The units come and do road marches over here and put toys in their ruck sacks,” said Lori.

Santa's Workshop entrance

It's a needs-based program, so it doesn’t matter if you are an E-1 (entry level paygrade) or lieutenant colonel. Shop week is coming up on December 4^th-8^th. The volunteer team is hard at work sorting the gifts and decorating the space. “It’s really inspiring. Coming through the ranks I understand those lower enlisted don’t get paid a lot… Our programs here are phenomenal,” said Christina.

Soldiers and their spouses will walk into a festive space with holiday music and refreshments while they shop. “We are giving each family a basket filled with cookie dough, frosting, a cookie cutter and spatula so they can bake cookies as a family activity. We have been working with the food pantry to get those items donated,” Lori explained. “We are fortunate enough that we have some generous people in our community donate higher price items like bicycles and hoverboards…We had a Nintendo Switch donated. Because we don’t have enough of those to give every family, we use those as opportunities for a drawing.”

Parents with kids 10 and under will also receive a bag with stocking stuffers. Christina and Lori are excited to meet the soldiers and provide them holiday cheer. “It means a lot. Being part of the Red Cross is absolutely amazing. It warms my heart… The parents find appreciation and joy of receiving something for their kids,” said Christina. Christina is also a member of our Disaster Action Team (DAT) on call to respond to house fires, floods and other disasters.

 

Service to Armed Forces and Tiffany Circle Red Crossers Deliver Holiday Cheer at Fort Knox

Kentucky Tiffany Circle Chair, Luly (right), delivers holiday baskets
to Fort Knox. Santa’s Workshop volunteers Amy and Ali (left and center)
help families select toys throughout the season.

Santa’s elves are hard at work making sure families experience the joy of the holidays! Kentucky Tiffany Circle Chair, Luly (right), delivered 12 baskets to Fort Knox for their Santa’s Workshop. The mission of Santa’s Workshop is to provide toys to military families who are financially challenged during the holiday season. With a little assistance from workshop elves, soldiers and spouses shop for the best toys for their children.

Parents begin shopping at Santa’s Workshop around the first two weeks of December. Volunteers like Amy and Ali (left and center) assist parents with selecting toys for their children. We are thankful for the Tiffany Circle members who donated and assembled these baskets. Tiffany Circle is a community of women leaders who advance the Red Cross mission by engaging and embracing women locally, nationally and internationally.

Candy Cane Lane is also offered on base for children of military families assisted through Santa’s Workshop. This gives the children the opportunity to shop for gifts for their parents and siblings. Elves assist them with selecting and wrapping gift items. Volunteers are needed year-round to help shop for toys, restock and organize the workshop.

We are thankful for the many helping hands on base at Fort Knox and around the community. These programs give families a sense of comfort and ease. We know the memories made through the Santa’s Workshop and Candy Cane Lane programs will be cherished for a lifetime!

Learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross at redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Appreciation Week: Glynis Bond

For Glynis Bond, volunteering is about putting a smile on someone’s face. “I enjoy working at Fort Knox. I see the smile on their faces when they know there is an avenue that can provide a substance when they are short,” said Glynis.

Glynis is retired from the army and volunteers at the food pantry and as a blood donor ambassador at Fort Knox. Originally from Chicago, IL, Glynis moved to Kentucky in 1998 as part of a military move. She has called Kentucky home ever since.

This past year, Glynis helped hand out food to families during the Thanksgiving holiday. “[The food pantry] is helping someone stay healthy and provide food. They have food at the table and the Red Cross has these avenues at no charge. It’s all free of charge because someone took the time to donate it,” said Glynis.

At blood drives, Glynis sees the positive effect it has on donors. “The power red donors (an automated process where the donor gives a concentrated amount of red blood cells) are fired up and ready. They are positive, want to do their donation, then set up their next appointment.” She enjoys seeing the donors and says they are “helping people live.”

Glynis was a Sergeant First Class Human Resource Supervisor in the army. She knew she wanted to volunteer with the Red Cross because of the ongoing need. Glynis is a member of Kappa Epsilon Psi Military Sorority, Inc.

Glynis loves to travel and celebrated her wedding anniversary in Hawaii. Her favorite place to visit so far has been Aruba. She has been married for 35 years and is excited to resume traveling once COVID-19 has subsided.

Thank you, Glynis, for your service to our nation and the Red Cross Kentucky Region! You are making a difference and helping community members who need it. Learn about our local volunteer opportunities by visiting RedCross.org #VolunteerAppreciationMonth

Volunteer Appreciation Week: Stephanie Thomas

As part of Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re highlighting some of the volunteers who work behind the scenes every day to help support the mission of the American Red Cross!

Stephanie Thomas is a Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer from Sonora, KY. As part of her role in SAF, Stephanie is responsible for following up with military families who have had an emergency that required an emergency communication from the Red Cross, and finding resources to address any critical needs they may have. Stephanie decided to volunteer with the Red Cross to give back to her country and her people.

 “I'm not a service member or a veteran, so working with the Red Cross is my way to serve,” said Stephanie. “To me, being a Red Cross volunteer is incredibly meaningful. Volunteering with the Red Cross means doing good in a world that needs it, contributing in some small way to the legacy of strength and service left by Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton, and standing by the side of our service members and veterans to let them know that they aren't alone.”

For Stephanie, the most interesting part of her job is getting to speak with our service members, veterans, and their families.

“As a SAF volunteer I get to speak with our service members, veterans, and their families, and let them know that there are people who care about them and truly want to help them however we can. “

The most memorable parts of her job so far have been the volunteers that she has gotten to work alongside.

“Every volunteer I've encountered has gone above and beyond, and truly cares about those serving our country,” said Stephanie. “I would recommend everyone volunteer if they can. People might think volunteers give to others, but the truth is that you get more back. Volunteering lets you expand your view of the world, and you'll meet some of the kindest, smartest people in your life - it is incredibly rewarding, and helps restore faith in humanity at the most basic level.”

Our Red Cross volunteers are community heroes who give their time to help others. Join their ranks and be part of our lifesaving work! Visit redcross.org/volunteer to find an opportunity near you.

Volunteer Appreciation Week: Margot Dudewicz

As part of Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re highlighting some of the volunteers who work behind the scenes every day to help support the mission of the American Red Cross!

Margot Dudewicz is a Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer in Fort Knox, KY who serves as the lead for SAF casework in Kentucky. She has been a volunteer for about three and a half years, and became a Red Cross volunteer while her family was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. 

“I called the Red Cross to start an emergency communication message when my husband was deployed to Iraq due to the death of his father,” said Margot. “The assistance I was provided by the Red Cross was truly comforting.

As the casework lead, she reaches out to volunteers who are interested in casework, trains new caseworkers on making family follow-up calls, approves monthly caseworker hours, and serves on the Fort Knox Advisory Board.

Margot finds it rewarding to touch base with a service member's family member who initiated a Red Cross emergency communication message and knowing that the service member will be able to travel home to be with their family.

“Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community,” said Margot. “As a SAF caseworker, it is an honor to serve military members, veterans, and their families.”

Our Red Cross volunteers are community heroes who give their time to help others. Join their ranks and be part of our lifesaving work! Visit redcross.org/volunteer to find an opportunity near you.

Volunteer Appreciation Week: Alvin Barnes

As part of Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re highlighting some of the volunteers who work behind the scenes every day to help support the mission of the American Red Cross!

Alvin Barnes is a Fort Knox Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer who moved to the Radcliff, KY area from Chicago. He decided to volunteer because he wanted to do something different after working in truck driving.

 “I found my peace in helping others,” said Alvin. Now when he volunteers as a SAF Emergency Communication Caseworker, every day is a unique experience. As part of his volunteering, Alvin is responsible for following up on requests for assistance and researching aid agencies.

 

One of the most interesting parts of his job as a volunteer is getting to see how interconnected people really are in the world. “We have no clue about how connected we are until we are knee deep in it,” said Alvin.

 

For Alvin, volunteering means paying it forward, and he believes it’s important for others to volunteer as well. “We all must participate in plausible solutions or nothing gets done. True sacrifice is doing benevolence at your level and opportunity.”

 

When he’s not volunteering, Alvin enjoys reading, research and educating himself about topics that interest him.

Our Red Cross volunteers are community heroes who give their time to help others. Join their ranks and be part of our lifesaving work! Visit redcross.org/volunteer to find an opportunity near you.

Volunteer Appreciation Week: Kaitlyn Harmon

Kaitlyn Harmon is a Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer from Fort Knox, KY. She works as a SAF Emergency Communication Caseworker, and has been volunteering since September of 2020.

For Kaitlyn, the most interesting part of her job as a volunteer is being able to communicate with military families, especially if they are new to the military. She enjoys helping them understand the services the American Red Cross provides to military families, and providing relief about how to contact their service member if they have an emergency at home.

The most memorable thing she has experienced with the Red Cross was when she first started out volunteering. “All the other volunteers welcomed me and made me feel at home. Volunteering didn't feel like a job, it felt like we were a family.”

Our Red Cross volunteers are community heroes who give their time to help others. Join their ranks and be part of our lifesaving work! Visit redcross.org/volunteer to find an opportunity near you.

#MyStoryMonday: Gray Ladies

During World War I, the American Red Cross had a great influx of volunteers. One service that was established in response was the Hostess and Hospital Service and Recreation corps, which was later famously named the Gray Ladies. The purpose for this new division of volunteers, who were mostly women, was to act as hostesses and provide recreational activities to wounded soldiers.

Although the Gray Ladies were established at the beginning of WWI at Walter Reed Army Hospital, the service quickly spread to both military and civilian hospitals around the country. Some of the Gray Ladies were even sent to serve in U.S. military hospitals overseas.

Gray Lady Jessie Thoroughman reading with Johnny Troxwell
at Hazelwood Sanatorium, circa 1958

The Gray Ladies service was not responsible for any type of medical care, but the volunteers were still required to undergo rigorous training that consisted of courses like hospital organization, psychiatry, ethics and more.

Although the ladies weren’t dressed in vibrant shades, their personalities made up for it. Whether it was sitting down and having a conversation with a serviceman or playing some tunes to patients confined to hospital beds, the Gray Ladies of the American Red Cross made it their mission to keep spirits high and the wounded hopeful.

For more information about the Gray Ladies, click here. If you would like to find out more about joining the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer

#MyStoryMonday: Molly Mason

Kentucky native Mollie Mason was no stranger to volunteer work. While in the midst of the Civil War her mother taught her how to knit, and she remained a knitter up until her death. During an interview in 1917 with Elizabeth Hagan of the Ladies Home Journal, Mason claimed, "I've knitted my way through a lot of national crises since [the Civil War]." In attempts to keep soldiers warm with a little comfort from home, Mason joined forces with the Red Cross to knit cozy sweaters, numerous pairs of mittens and more.

In World War I (and still to this day) an important initiative to the Red Cross was knitting because it was something that was relatively easy to pick up and accessible to all ages. When Americans asked how they could help on the war effort on the home front the most common answer was "knit!" Thousands of citizens grabbed their knitting needles and made socks and sweaters to send to troops overseas.

"This was is going to end suddenly like the last one, but in the meantime I'm trying to keep our boys supplied with knitted things," Miss Mason said.

If you would like to find out more about joining the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer

Profile: Lynn Romans

Lynn Romans, a resident of Radcliff, Kentucky, first joined the Red Cross in 1990 when her youngest child went to school. She began work in the ACCEPT credit counseling service, and in the 26 years since she has been everything from an Administrative Coordinator in Field Services to a Database Administrator in Financial Development. Now, Lynn is a Program Specialist for the organization’s Service to Armed Forces (SAF) where she helps coordinate and promote the division’s activities.

The American Red Cross has been providing services to U.S. Armed Forces in Kentucky and Indiana since 1917. As a military mom, the impact SAF makes is especially important to Lynn.

While the SAF Hero Care Call Center at the Louisville Area Chapter gets the most notoriety, Lynn and the SAF division are constantly giving back to the military community. Much of Lynn’s job is networking with veterans agencies and promoting the activities of the SAF. They work with other organizations, nonprofits, Fort Knox and the Pet Therapy teams at the Clark County Red Cross office in Southern Indiana to help provide services to veterans, active duty military personnel and their families. Every Memorial Day they set up a booth to welcome and support riders participating in the annual Run for the Wall, a cross country motorcycle ride to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. hosted to promote healing among veterans and to honor Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action or Killed in Action.

One of the activities that Lynn enjoys the most is reaching out to military personnel who are preparing to ship out to basic training through programs at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS).

At MEPS, Red Cross staff gives briefings to new recruits and their families so they can “Get to Know Us Before You Need Us” and learn about the services the Red Cross provides. These include counseling and social services to military families, and the emergency communication services that keep military personnel in touch with their loved ones in the event of emergencies, including the death of an immediate family member or the birth of a child. The Red Cross is also present during yellow ribbon programs and homecomings to let military families know what services are available to them.

“If you’ve been here long enough, everyone has done a little bit of everything,” said Lynn. “I never would have guessed I would be here.”

“Most people do not know the relationship between the Red Cross and the Armed Forces,” said Lynn. Making that relationship known is important to her, because it’s the people that matter to her most; the military personnel and families she helps serve, and the passionate and caring people she works with who come together to get the job done. Lynn encourages others to look into the services provided by SAF, and asks that people remember and support our troops.

Click here to learn more about the Red Cross Service to Armed Forces, and to volunteer with SAF, go to www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Kathy Hoff

From her time as a Red Cross Donut Dolly in Vietnam, to disaster responses across the United States, to her current service in Lexington, Kentucky, Kathy Hoff has devoted years of time and talent to helping the Red Cross in a variety of capacities.

Kathy’s first volunteer experience with the organization was in 1969. As an adventuresome recent college graduate, she and her roommate saw a newspaper ad to go to Vietnam as “Donut Dollies”, and they signed up. She spent the next year there, offering moral support for the troops. The Dollies, a name inherited from their predecessors in World War II and Korea, would run recreation centers, put on self-designed programs to entertain the troops, and visit hospitals, which was difficult and heart wrenching for Kathy.

“As long as we could take the guys’ minds off the war, that was our main aspect of having them do these games. A lot of times I would just sit and talk. I did not like going to the hospital, because I had to smile and be cheerful, and seeing these guys that were my age and younger, and what they’ve been through [. . .] that was really challenging,” she said.

Kathy Swanson Hoff serving as a Donut Dolly in Vietnam

Following her service in Vietnam, Kathy occasionally volunteered for the Red Cross, but after Hurricane Katrina, she became more involved again. She was deployed twice following Katrina, spending three weeks in Mississippi operating an Emergency Response Vehicle, and then spending two weeks in New Orleans canteening and feeding the thousands of displaced residents. Since then, she has responded to numerous disasters across the country, including relief operations in California, Iowa and Texas, and on the East Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. She used to teach disaster classes, she presents the Pillowcase Project (a free disaster preparedness program) to elementary school students, and she’s continued her work with the military, serving as a Service to Armed Forces Specialist and donating her time at the local VA hospital.

A retired teacher originally from the Seattle area, Kathy and her husband moved to Lexington five years ago to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. Volunteering is a way of life for Kathy, and she has discovered plenty of volunteer opportunities in the Bluegrass. She’s an officer in the Citizens Police Academy, works with the Lexington Opera House, coaches a Special Olympics softball team, ushers for UK Athletics events, and helps out at her grandchildren’s elementary school. Connecting to others, especially those less fortunate, is a gratifying experience for her.

“It’s just giving of yourself, just thinking of other people, and not worrying about yourself and all that’s going on. It’s just such a good feeling to help. There’s a lady at the VA where I volunteer. She’s 98 years old, was a nurse in World War II, and she just beams when I walk in” she said.  

She feels connected to other volunteers with their shared interest in helping others, and she’s stayed in touch with a number of fellow Red Crossers from her deployments around the country. Kathy is also relaying the importance of volunteering to younger generations by involving her grandchildren in numerous activities.

“It’s a great feeling to give of yourself. When you get a hug [. . .], that’s the biggest pay you could ever have.”

Click here to learn more about the Donut Dollies, and if you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer .

Louisville Area Chapter Recognizes Service of WWI Red Cross Nurse

Nursing and Service to the Armed Forces are both important parts of the storied past of the American Red Cross. With the outbreak of World War I, these services worked together to provide much needed care for the United States military. The Nursing Service was established in 1909, and this branch of the Red Cross increased its activity as conflict spread across Europe in June 1914. When the U.S. became involved in the Great War in 1917 and an influenza pandemic rattled the globe in 1918, the demand for nurses grew even greater, both domestically and internationally. The Red Cross enrolled 23,822 nurses during the war, and 19,931 of these nurses were sent overseas. On Tuesday, April 26, 2016, the Louisville Area Chapter honored World War I Red Cross nurse Margaret Dugan Winter (1892-1962). The Legacy Award was presented to her daughter, Margaret Winter White of Louisville.

Mrs. Margaret Winter White accepting a Legacy Award honoring her mother, Mrs. Margaret Dugan Winter, from Louisville Area Chapter Board Chair Bill Lamb

Born Margaret May Dugan, and known as Maggie May, the Jeffersonville, Indiana native served as a Red Cross nurse on the homefront and abroad. She trained at Louisville City Hospital and became a Registered Nurse in 1917. On November 19 of that year, she was sworn in as Red Cross Nurse #14957, and she was quickly called to active duty. Her first assignment took her to the U.S. Army hospital at Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia in 1918. The influenza pandemic was in full force, and she cared for many patients who fell ill with the virus. Later that year, she was assigned to Base Hospital Unit #56 and sent overseas, where she spent seven months in Allerey, France. The war ended in November 1918, and she was discharged from active duty on June 5, 1919.

 

Following her service with the Red Cross, Mrs. Winter continued her career as a nurse, and also her work with military veterans. Soon after the war, she spent time working for the Veterans Bureau, assisting with the claims of disabled soldiers in Eastern Kentucky. In the 1930s and 40s, she served as chairwoman of the American Legion Auxiliary Christmas shop where hospitalized veterans could pick out gifts for their families.

A number of Mrs. Winter’s family members were present to witness her being honored. Ernest Edward Morris, grandson of Mrs. Winter, has other family connections to the early years of the American Red Cross as well. His great-grandfather Ernest P. Bicknell spent 27 years with the organization, including time overseas during World War I as the Deputy Commissioner to France, Commissioner to Belgium, and Special Commissioner to the Balkan States, all while serving as a member of several international relief organizations. In addition to Mrs. White and Mr. Morris, other family members present were A. Franklin White (husband of Mrs. White), Glenda Terrell Morris (wife of Mr. Morris), Elizabeth Winter (granddaughter of Mrs. Winter,  and Stuart A. White (son of Mrs. White and grandson of Mrs. Winter).

The remarkable expansion of the American Red Cross during World War I can be attributed to the crucial care and comfort provided to military members and civilians around the world. The Red Cross would not be the humanitarian organization it is today without volunteers like Margaret Dugan Winter. We are grateful for her contributions, and we are proud to honor her service.

Click here to learn more about the Red Cross and its efforts during World War I.

Biographical information provided by the family of Margaret Dugan Winter.

Haack, Alison. “Ernest P. Bicknell – Red Cross Humanitarian”, Indiana University Archives, last modified April 8, 2014, accessed April 28, 2016, https://blogs.libraries.indiana.edu/iubarchives/2014/04/08/c520/.