By Amanda Waddell, American Red Cross Volunteer
We all have a skill or a passion that the world needs from us, as we are all valuable. Discovering a way to take those passions and skills and use them in service to the community is such a beautiful experience.
We all know that the Red Cross has countless opportunities for volunteering, everything ranging from blood donation to disaster response – even blog writing! – but the number of selfless volunteers is even greater.And with the current pandemic upending everyone’s lives, that diversity has grown even more. Many people who didn’t think that they had the time beforehand are stepping up in any way that they can, and are seeing that their involvement can continue in any capacity, even after this storm settles.
As I have been learning more and more about the awesome teams throughout my region, I have learned of a specific group of volunteers that have shown up in record numbers to offer their skills in one of the most needed capacities; on the frontlines of the pandemic.
Professional volunteers have always been a valuable piece of the Red Cross organization. Professional accountants, human resource specialists, teachers, even CEO’s, have become a part of the Red Cross team for many decades. And since the current COVID 19 crisis began, the professional volunteers within the healthcare arena have found themselves filling many roles throughout those frontlines.
In Fort Carson, Colorado, at the Evans Army Community Hospital, Clara Huff is the Lead Volunteer. She worked there for decades as a Registered Nurse, and for years even after retirement, has kept her licensing in order to volunteer as a professional with the Red Cross. For 50 years (FIFTY!) Clara has used her trained skills and call to service in so many selfless areas, and the past few months of pandemic-response have been no different. With doctors and nurses being stretched thin, professional volunteers have stepped in and stepped up
Clara seems to have another superpower, besides the ridiculous number of service hours and unending dedication; finding the perfect role for the perfect volunteer. She takes the time to talk and listen and assess where each volunteer will truly thrive and love their volunteer time. Where they will learn, if they have come for experience fresh out of nursing school. Where they will feel comfortable jumping in, if they are a seasoned doctor or nurse. My conversation with her was full of enthusiasm for the importance of placement and training, and the repeated statement “we are all one team.”
Clara’s team, (or, OUR team) is impressive. At least 25% of the current volunteers at the hospital are medical professionals, and include orthopedic doctors, registered nurses, chiropractors, nurse practitioners, family doctors, and more. They have all jumped into different arenas over the last few months, working in the emergency department or assisting with COVID screening – wherever Clara feels they will thrive. In the midst of uncertainty, there seems to be a purposeful flow in Ft. Carson.
One of these professional volunteers that works with Clara is Dola Handley, RNC, OB. Dola retired from the Army and Nursing a few years ago, but as the pandemic began to show it’s seriousness, decided she needed to help. Through the Red Cross she became a professional volunteer, working with COVID screenings and in the pharmacy at the hospital.
Dola’s humility in her response to the global crisis is astounding. In our conversation, she downplayed every role she has carried along the way. But, as I see it, Dola and Clara and all of the other professional volunteers provide an invaluable service in these times, and throughout all time. With their skills and experience, they offer relief and support to those who are overwhelmed or deployed or simply drained. They offer insight and attention to detail and a trained eye. And they selflessly give the most needed skills – compassion.
Thank you to all of the professional volunteers.