Red Cross Staff Member Deploying to Kuwait

The American Red Cross is sending a local Red Cross staff person to support American troops in Kuwait.

Canyon Ridge Mobile Home Park, Co/Springs. Barbara Shufelt, Vince Kumbero-Fire Explore volunteer behind (left) and “SPARKY”
Photo by Carolyn Sharp/American Red Cross

Barbara Shufelt, a long-time employee of the Red Cross, will deploy to Kuwait in early July. Barbara has been a staff member or volunteer continually with the American Red Cross since 1995, and will soon be celebrating 24 years of dedicated service.

Barbara is currently working as a Service to the Armed Forces Specialist at Fort Carson, CO, which is part of the Colorado-Wyoming Region, and is looking forward to a deployment of a different kind.  She will be a part of the team going to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in July 2018 and is eager to support the troops overseas.  She has a deep and abiding respect for and commitment to military members, veterans and their families. Her official transfer date is Friday, June 29, 2018.

Left to Right- Red Cross volunteers Barbara Shufelt, Tom Pardee, and Deborah Zeller put together bags of winter clothing for the Homeless Veterans Stand Down at the Colorado Springs City auditorium on 10/20/15. Photo by Joe Coleman/American Red Cross

Her youngest son was deployed to Afghanistan with the Colorado National Guard in 2012 and she understands how vitally important those family communications and services to the military are.  Barbara is single, a mother of three grown children and Oma (grandmother) to six grandchildren.

As their parents did before them, the grandchildren (fondly referred to as “The Adorables”) love to do volunteer work for the American Red Cross, whether it be stuffing bags with information for deploying service members or handing out candy to military children at the Fort Carson Trunk or Treat.  They think it is cool that Oma will be wearing Army boots and helping the soldiers overseas.

Barbara feels incredibly fortunate to have such a loving and supportive family, and although it is hard to be separated from loved ones (including a 3 month old grandson) she is honored to be a representative of the Service to the Armed Forces team, doing what she loves to do.

To learn more about the Red Cross Service to Armed Forces Program visit www.redcross.org/SAF.