Helping People with Emotional Support After a Disaster

Michael Brown is a resident of Greenville, North Carolina, and has been a Red Cross volunteer with Disaster Cycle Services for close to 22 years. Through his time with the Red Cross, he has served in several roles. One role that is close to his heart, is the role of Disaster Mental Health Volunteer. Where a devastating storm, hurricane or

Would You Know What To Do?

In January 2020, Jon Carter was at work at Duke Energy in Raleigh, North Carolina, when another employee asked him, “Do you know CPR?” Fortunately, he recently became CPR certified after participating in workplace Red Cross training offered by Duke Energy. While someone called 911, Jon found a man unconscious on his stomach with several people gathered around. The man

Red Crosser Describes Commitment to Armed Forces: Before and During COVID-19

Robin Callahan, Director of Services to the Armed Forces and International Services for the American Red Cross Eastern NC Region, recalls when she was training in Germany last January to deploy to a support site in Baghdad. The Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi Militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis had just been assassinated by a United States drone strike. Callahan

Veteran Honored for 50 Years of Service

It is an honor to celebrate Mr. Blackhawk Fornelli of Washington, NC for his volunteer service with the American Red Cross. In 2020, Blackhawk reached a true a milestone of “50 Years of Service” as a Red Cross volunteer.  Blackhawk joined the Red Cross in 1970, when he was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army.  In his first role,

On the Front Lines Again: Veteran Volunteer Roberto Mendoza

The Red Cross is proud to acknowledge the large number of U.S. veterans who are choosing, once again, to serve on the front lines. Veteran volunteers are applying their unique, professional skills in a variety of ways during this unprecedented time in our nation’s history – whether fighting COVID or back-to-back disasters – as part of the Red Cross team.

Red Cross Has Always Been “Home” for this Volunteer

Vicky Wisnom works to send affected people out to area hotels after Hurricane Isaias in August 2020. It was the start of the Gulf War in 1990, and after Vicky Wisnom donated blood late one evening after work, she knew she wanted to help more. A North Carolinian now, at the time she was living in Philadelphia, where many of

Red Cross Delivers Relief to Hurricane Survivors in North Carolina

Across the country, American Red Cross disaster responders have been working for weeks to help people affected by an unprecedented hurricane and wildfire season.  One of those hurricanes, Hurricane Isaias, made landfall in North Carolina spawning more than 23 tornadoes along with flooding and even fires as it moved north. It left a wake of devastation for several communities, took

From Blood Donation to Convalescent Plasma Donation: The Red Cross is in this Young Donor’s Blood

Volunteering for the Red Cross is nothing new to 19-year-old Kees Heetderks. After all, as a junior in high school, he started to donate blood and organize Red Cross blood drives. Most recently, though, Heetderks became a convalescent plasma donor to help critically ill COVID-19 patients. His desire to help fight the pandemic this way came after he and his

COVID 19: American Red Cross Works with Partners to Offer Spiritual Resources for Families Hit by Pandemic

Faith-based partners in Red Cross’s Virtual Family Assistance Center offer spiritual help The United Church of Chapel Hill is one of the partner organizations working with the American Red Cross’s recently launched Virtual Family Assistance Center. The Red Cross launched the virtual center in order to offer an array of services for families struggling with loss and grief due to

Virtual Family Assistance Center-Providing Help and Hope

Amidst the stress and turmoil we are all facing during the COVD-19 pandemic, the Red Cross is providing a place of practical help and hope through our Virtual Family Assistance Center (VFAC). VFAC is staffed by volunteers trained in behavioral health, spiritual care, and health services who can provide immediate information and resources to callers in crisis. We are offering