Profile: Dan Wirth

“The common connection among Red Crossers,” said Daniel Wirth, a native of Indianapolis, “is the desire to make a difference.”

Dan has traveled around the world making a difference. After moving to Colorado for undergrad and earning his Master's degree in Montana, Dan joined the Peace Corps and worked throughout Africa and Latin America giving back to people in need.

Two years ago he and his wife decided they wanted to be closer to home, so they moved back to Indianapolis where he began working for the Red Cross.

When he first joined the Red Cross, Dan drove a Red Cross response vehicle around communities in Texas to deliver clean up supplies to help flood victims recover and salvage their belongings. He spent time working in disaster responses in Texas and South Carolina. He recently moved to Louisville to become the new Regional Disaster Officer for the Kentucky Region. Dan’s role now includes engaging volunteers, leading the disaster and preparedness response teams, and making sure the team is focused on the bigger goals of each response effort. In the midst of it all, he also encourages everyone to be considerate.

Dan loves his job. He believes in the Red Cross mission, and in making a difference in the lives of the people the Red Cross serves. Getting to know so many people with such varied depths of knowledge and experiences, and the desire to use them to give back, is one of the highlights of his work.

When he isn’t working, Dan plays soccer, practices yoga, and spends time with his wife, daughter, and extended family.

Click here to learn more about Disaster Relief, and if you would like to join 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 .

Volunteer Profile: Curtis Armstrong

Since the Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply, volunteers like Curtis Armstrong are crucial to the organization. Curtis has been a Blood Services volunteer for three years and continues to donate his time to the cause. His main inspiration for giving back was seeing his wife volunteer with the Red Cross.  While he helps in whatever capacity he can, his main roles are blood donor recruitment, serving blood donors meals and thanking donors for their generosity. He values volunteering with the Red Cross because it is a great way for him to meet people and experience the many different ways to positively impact others.

Working in Blood Services has given Curtis the chance to work around a lot of different people, all with unique stories. However; one experience sticks out to him the most. “I was at a Blood Drive when a donor came to me and thanked me for my effort in recruiting Donors, I thanked him for giving and he cried on my shoulder and said, no, thank you for helping save my family, because of what you’re doing my family is still with me today and that's why I give,” he said.

To Curtis, there is no reward greater than seeing how his effort has helped the community at large. He believes others should join the effort and volunteer with the Red Cross. “Volunteering with the Red Cross is a great way especially for those not able to work, to be able to give their time and enjoy life,” he said.

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Savannah Westerfield

When people think of the Red Cross usually Blood or Disaster Services come to mind. However, volunteer Savannah Westerfield plays a different role within the organization. Savannah serves as a Public Affairs volunteer where she currently helps manage the social media platforms for the Bluegrass Area Chapter. She shares relevant and important information through the chapter’s Facebook page, responds to messages, and she also helps write press releases. 

Savannah has always had an interest in volunteering. In college she worked with other members of a University of Kentucky campus ministry, raising money to buy shovels, gloves, masks, and supplies to help with the cleanup after Hurricane Katrina hit. They traveled to the town of Pass Christian, Mississippi, and it was devastated; the aftermath of Katrina was the “most gut wrenching thing” she had ever seen. There were volunteers from all different organizations helping, but the one that stuck out to her most was the Red Cross.

Fast forward several years later, Savannah finally found herself with some spare time. Having been moved by the help the Red Cross provided after Hurricane Katrina, she looked into volunteering with the organization and saw there was a need for a Public Affairs volunteer. Given her education and experience in the field, she figured it was fate and immediately signed up. “Working with the Red Cross, you see firsthand how quickly an unexpected disaster can change a person's life. It means a lot to know I play a small part in helping people get back on their feet,” she said.

One of Savannah’s fondest memories with the Red Cross occurred last year when she helped with a WKYT TV telethon to help raise funds for the flash flood victims of Johnson County. “I was amazed to hear the stories people called in with about how they knew someone from Johnson County, or they had been a flood victim before and just wanted to help this time, tens of thousands of dollars were raised by a state that came together to help the flood victims, it was very encouraging to be a part of,” she said.

Savannah stresses the importance of volunteering, especially with the Red Cross. “You can be the volunteer today and the client tomorrow,” she said. “It's just important to help out your neighbors when you can, since you never know when you might need the same help.”

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Jane Holycross

Jane Holycross is a Red Cross Volunteer with many different titles. Her journey with the organization began in April 2014 after an injury displaced her from her factory job, and she started working at the front desk of the Red Cross office in Sydney, Ohio. She had little knowledge of the Red Cross, however, once she started networking with other staff, she joined and took all the necessary classes to become a Disaster Responder. In September 2014, she moved back to her hometown to have surgery, and upon recovery, she reached out to the Eastern Kentucky Chapter Red Cross to see if they needed any assistance. She was welcomed with open arms by Executive Director Joanna King.

Jane currently has a leading role in The Pillowcase Project, a program that is committed to helping elementary schoolers become better prepared for a disaster or emergency. As part of the program, the students receive a pillowcase to build their own emergency supply kit. “My girls and I grew up having a crafty side, so I enjoy making these projects,” she explained. Her most memorable Red Cross moments come from her experiences with the students. “The joy of watching a child’s face and knowing that they are learning from you on how to be prepared is priceless, the Thank You notes we receive back from them will put a tear in your eye,” she said.

Being with the Red Cross for two years has taught Jane a lot about the importance of volunteering. “Volunteering is a great way to do something for your community, whether it’s a disaster call or doing an event based project, a volunteer can never do too little,” she said.

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Karen Curry

The phrase “we all have a cross to bear” took on a personal meaning when Karen Curry’s home caught fire October 2014. In the aftermath of this disaster, the Red Cross offered comfort, empathy and support at a time in her life when she needed it the most. Before then, she hadn’t grasped the important role the Red Cross plays in alleviating suffering in the face of emergency, but now she does.

Karen chose to express her gratitude by becoming a Red Cross volunteer in January 2015. She currently serves as a member of the Disaster Action Team in the South Central Kentucky Chapter. Joining the Red Cross has afforded her the opportunity to help others who are going through similar situations as hers. “Having experienced the heartbreak and loss in the aftermath of the fire in my home, I understand the devastating sense of loss thereafter,” she said.

Karen’s most memorable Red Cross story to date has been her own experience as a home fire victim because it set her life on a new path, one of a committed volunteer. She intends to give back all she was given and more. “I would encourage any and everyone to be a Red Cross Volunteer, being a part of the Red Cross has enriched my life and helped me grow as a person while impacting lives in a positive way.”

“It is true, we all have a cross to bear, thanks to the Red Cross, we don’t have to bear it alone,” Karen said.

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Vivian McNeil

You don't have to be a nurse to volunteer with the American Red Cross, but it sure helps if you are one. Vivian McNeil is a retired trauma nurse and a Red Cross Disaster volunteer in the Western Kentucky Chapter.

In 2009, after suffering a nerve injury to her arm, Vivian was unable to work in the Emergency Department. Having been a nurse for over 35 years, that was tough obstacle for her to overcome. “I was very depressed at home. I had been a RN since I was 21, and I was feeling useless. I decided to see if the Red Cross could use my help in any way,” said Vivian.

Over the next couple of years, she was able to assist the Red Cross at different community events; however it wasn’t until last summer that she became heavily involved in volunteering. Since then, she has worked with the Welcome Team and assisted with the Pillowcase Project, a preparedness education program for children. She is currently learning more about disaster and canteening, and hopes to be able to utilize her nursing skills to provide further assistance to the Red Cross.

“Prevention of accidents, knowing what to do when your house catches fire, and providing aid when people are in a crisis is what I've done for all of my adult life. This work is just another way of doing it,” Vivian explained. “I firmly believe in the mission of the Red Cross. My career as a nurse [ . . . ] became a way to change lives. The Red Cross is the same.”

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Debbie Ranier

Meet Debbie Ranier, a Red Cross volunteer who knows just how far a helping hand can go. Her way of life growing up helped mold her into a very supportive and giving person. Her grandmother volunteered often and helped her understand the importance of being there for others.

In March 2012, Debbie witnessed the aftermath of a horrific tornado that swept through Morgan County. She saw firsthand through her job at Servpro how much the Red Cross is needed in these disasters and how we postively impact communities near and far. From that day forward, she knew the Red Cross was an organization she wanted to be involved with.

Debbie’s most memorable Red Cross moment occurred last spring while she was assisting with a mass distribution in Morehead, Kentucky. “A man pulled up to receive supplies and while I was handing them to him he said ‘I have always given to the Red Cross, but never thought I would ever need the Red Cross,” she said.

Having been with the Red Cross for two and a half years now, Debbie has a bright future with the organization. She currently serves as a board member for the Eastern Kentucky Chapter, and she is a newly appointed Community Volunteer Leader. Her willingness to be a positive factor in the community is ever-growing.

“A typical day for me with the Red Cross is impacting others to find it in their heart to have a passion for giving to this wonderful organization,” said Debbie. “Describing volunteering to be rewarding to me is an understatement.”

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Lauri and Rob Martin

Louisville Area Chapter Board Chair Bill Lamb (left) recognizing Lauri and Rob Martin for their service at a February 2016 meeting

It only takes one person to make a difference, but in Lauri and Rob Martin’s case, two isn’t bad either. The Martins are a true “super couple” in the Kentucky Region American Red Cross.

After a career of owning and running a local security business, the Martins chose to transition into a fairly early retirement. Not wanting to slow down, they decided it was time to find a new opportunity to engage and invest in something that could truly make a difference.

“We love the jobs where we can be out and be very busy; that is our idea of quality time,” said Lauri.

In 2012, this retirement journey led Rob and Lauri to the door of the Red Cross Disaster Cycle Services program in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. They got started as members of their local Disaster Action Team, a volunteer program which provides assistance to community members who have suffered a home fire. The Martins also assist with other disaster responses by helping lead the Kentucky Region feeding team.

Ultimately, this power couple is willing to jump in wherever help is needed.

“What we learned from working with the Red Cross is, whatever we plan for, we will never be ready. Disaster has no calendar,” said the Martins. Perhaps that’s why they have managed to respond to over 100 fires and served community members across the region with more than 10,000 combined active and on-call hours.

According to the Martins, volunteering with the Red Cross has given them the chance to do something that allows them to stay busy, feel good inside, network, and be a part of something bigger. They encourage others to volunteer and ensure our community is prepared for any type of disaster.

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Profile: Ainsley Jones

Ainsley Jones

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Ainsley Jones is a lifelong Red Crosser. His father, Larry Jones, served as a Louisville Chapter volunteer for more than 30 years, and quickly involved his son in the organization -- as an infant, Ainsley starred in a public service announcement centered on the chapter’s efforts to help families impacted by local disasters. During the summer, his father would drive him all across Kentucky, and together, they would visit various chapters. “My dad was my soulmate and best friend, his work with the American Red Cross was and still is an inspiration to me, the first item I ever took to school for show and tell was my dad's Disaster Services hard hat,” Ainsley explained.

Ainsley became more involved with the Red Cross and spent his adolescent years volunteering and taking preparedness and safety classes. He even recalls a time when was able to use skills he learned to help to save his dad’s life. “I ventured out of my room to discover my dad choking in our kitchen. I remember distinctly going through all the steps I had learned as a Junior Red Crosser to dislodge the scrambled eggs he was choking on,” said Ainsley.

Larry Jones

Following in his father’s footsteps, Ainsley currently serves a board member for the Louisville Area Chapter. While his role on the board is still evolving, he feels he serves as an ambassador for the American Red Cross every day. When he wears a Red Cross logo, he feels the same sense of pride his father felt when he volunteered for the Red Cross.

While he cites the Red Cross as one of the major influences in his life, Ainsley also holds other interests as well. He is a huge fan of soccer, and the sport is very important to him. “The way I think and approach tasks are rooted in the philosophies soccer has brought into my life,” he said. He considers himself a student of cinema and shares a love for architecture, interior design and landscaping.

“My favorite quote from Martin Luther King Jr. is ‘Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' I feel like it embodies the mission of the American Red Cross and reiterates that it's your blessing to be able to help people in need regardless of their circumstance.” Ainsley encourages everyone to go out and volunteer with the Red Cross.

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Profile: Pam Williams

A part of the Summit, Portage, and Medina Chapter in Ohio, Pam Williams has been volunteering for the Red Cross since 2006. Pam is from Akron, OH, and is the manager for government operations. As a part of external affairs, Pam maintains communication between the Red Cross and its government partners, including everything from state and local governments up to entities on the national level such as FEMA. In 2015 she was deployed to Kentucky as part of the summer flood relief efforts. 

She is an active member of her community, which is how she was introduced to the Red Cross: She was asked to join the Red Cross board, and rather than simply hold the position, she wanted to learn more and get involved. She attended trainings at her local Red Cross, took classes, and eventually got involved in disaster operations.

Rearranging her schedule and putting her home-life on hold is difficult, but like most people who deploy to disaster operations, Pam is ready to go the moment the call comes in. She has a kit prepared with essentials--clothes, paperwork, and candy--to take with her, and then she’s ready to go.

Working in disaster operations has shown Pam the resilience people have in the face of disaster, and allows her to appreciate what she has and how fortunate it is she is able to assist. It has also given her an appreciation for the effort of the individuals who volunteer during deployment, as well as the combined group effort it takes to keep disaster operations running.

Sometimes disaster operations are fortunate enough to have a base already running. Other times, they have to start from scratch.

“Sometimes we’re working an operation out of an empty big box store,” Pam said during our interview. “To watch people from around the country who don’t know each other come together and in hours put together an operation—it’s magical.”

Seeing the sheer number of people who put their lives on hold when they are called to deploy is one of the things that amazes Pam the most about her job, and according to Pam, it’s the consistent training and knowledge taught by the Red Cross that allows the volunteers to work alongside people from opposite ends of the country to accomplish their goals. She encourages people to volunteer with the Red Cross, because even though large operations like disaster relief require a lot of hands and many working pieces, one person can still make a difference.

Volunteer Profile: Mike Sewell

Meet Mike Sewell, a dedicated disaster volunteer whose work ethic is matched by his passion for serving the community. Mike was born and raised in Jefferson County and has lived in Kentucky his whole life. His life changed drastically when a motorcycle accident left him seriously injured and unable to work.  “I got to the point to where I was pretty depressed and my doctor said I needed to get out of the house, that’s when I started with the Red Cross,” he said. Mike started out volunteering in the Service to the Armed Forces in 2009, however, his interest shifted to Disaster Services shortly after lending his assistance in a local flood.

As a disaster volunteer, Mike has experienced just about every type of natural disaster.  However, there is one case that sticks out to him the most. It was his first deployment on a disaster run, and he was headed to Pikeville, Kentucky to respond to a severe rainstorm. When he arrived at the scene, he was speechless; this particular storm dumped over a foot of rain on the small town, turning valleys into rivers.  “I seen a senior citizen standing outside and I went to speak with her, now here’s a lady with her whole life, everything just laying in piles, that really stuck with me, it was at that moment  I decided I want to really connect with these people and make a difference in their life,” he said.

At the age of 58, most people would be looking forward to retirement. Mike, on the other hand, has no plans of slowing down. He recently accepted a new title as Volunteer Disaster Program Manager and is currently assembling teams to increase the volunteer base throughout Louisville and the surrounding counties. “Volunteering with the Red Cross for me means being able to be a light in someone’s darkness,” he said.The Red Cross has given Mike a chance to serve as a beacon of hope for those who need it most.

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Profile: Linda Dintenfass

Based in the Southeast Michigan Chapter, Linda Dintenfass is the assistant director of external communications for the Red Cross. As part of external relations, it is her job to make sure messages sent to the community and partners of the Red Cross maintain a commonality and a consistency. She manages communications with critical partners, including donors, media, and government agencies, and makes sure the components of external relations are collaborating with each other as well as the other functions within the Red Cross.

Linda, who is from Ann Arbor, MI, became a member of the Red Cross in 2005. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Linda found she couldn’t sit still; she had to do something to help. Soon after she discovered that her local Red Cross was offering opportunities for an intense, condensed training in disaster relief and deployment to areas affected by Katrina, and she got involved.

Disaster deployment for her now means putting her life on hold and quickly rearranging her schedule. Nevertheless, Linda has it down to a science by now. The dogs are sent to daycare. She packs copies of all the paperwork she might need during an operation, both in electronic form and in hard copies in case the area she’s being deployed to do not have internet access. She does her research and checks social media to get a sense of how the disaster is being covered.

One of the things that interests Linda the most about deployment operations comes from doing research: She loves getting to know the communities she is being deployed to. There are many times when she finds herself deployed to places she knows nothing about, so part of her research process has become finding out the history of the area and “chatting her roommate’s ears off” about what she’s found when she gets back to her sleeping arrangements at night.

No two disasters are the same, so gathering this information also helps her prepare for the unique challenges that might come up during deployments--trying to coordinate a disaster response in a state like Kentucky that is split into two different time zones, for example.

“Disaster is the great equalizer,” she said during our interview. “Volunteering has given me the opportunity to help clients in their darkest times.”

Volunteering in disaster relief for the Red Cross has left Linda humbled, and she encourages others to volunteer as well. Working with clients and getting their faith and trust is a huge honor and responsibility, and a constant reminder that, collectively, the volunteers of the Red Cross make a difference in people’s lives.

Profile: Bill Downard

When people think of the Red Cross, chances are that they think of blood services, disaster relief, or the services to the military and their families that the Red Cross provides.

Bill Downard thinks about these things, too. He has to; as fleet manager for the Kentucky Region, Bill is responsible for managing all vehicles the Red Cross uses and making sure they are deployed during its operations.

After retiring two years ago from a long career in insurance, Bill became interested in volunteering for the Red Cross through his mother-in-law, who worked in Blood Operations. At first, Bill started out working in Blood Operations himself by picking up and transporting blood from donation sites. In April 2015, Bill shifted gears. Instead of driving, he became the manager for the Kentucky Region’s vehicle fleet.

Bill took the reins and rebuilt the position from the ground up. It opened up his eyes to areas of disaster response that he had never really envisioned before, so the true scope of Bill’s responsibilities comes at little surprise. Bill had to compile and build all of the data files he now uses to keep track of the fleet from scratch. Vehicles had to be located from where they had been placed across the state, and their maintenance had to be assessed.

When it comes to preparing and responding to disasters, Bill has to make sure that the proper paperwork is filed in order to meet the needs of operations. Not only is Bill responsible for sending vehicles to operations sites and reassigning vehicles all across Kentucky, but also making sure they are all in working order.

It was a learning process, and Bill doubts that his job is ever going to fully stop evolving. He finds all of it to be rewarding, though: Volunteering at the Red Cross has given him the opportunity to do something he enjoys that was totally different than in his working career. It gives him a sense of reward, and he loves getting to meet people who come together from all parts of the country to offer their time and help to the Red Cross. The ability to apply his skills in ways that give back to the Red Cross is important to Bill, and he encourages others to consider volunteering as well.