By Mary Jo Blackwood, American Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer
According to staff and other volunteers who work with her, Star Fennell is the epitome of the ideal American Red Cross volunteer: She’s patient, listens and is always looking for ways to improve what the Red Cross does to serve our clientele. While her favorite Red Cross gig is going out on large disaster assignments, she doesn’t shy away from the paperwork and sometimes humdrum tasks that help the Red Cross function more effectively.
Star sums it up: “We live in very challenging times. With all the streamlining we have done over the years to free up more and more resources for services, there is hardly any paid staff left. Volunteers do most of the work, and some take on big oversight projects.”
That would pretty much describe what Star does. She started her post-retirement volunteer service by being on-call for Disaster Action Teams responding to single and multi-family local disasters. She also took on serving as the Regional Staff Health Team Lead, responding to the health needs of the staff and volunteers during deployment and blue sky activities.
Star’s volunteer career was inspired by her mother, who for many years worked as a blood volunteer. Star was a lifeguard trained by Red Cross as a youth. While her husband was in the service in Germany and other locations, she volunteered with Red Cross to teach prenatal classes. After she retired from public health nursing, she came back to Red Cross in health services and to help out wherever there was a need.
Star has responded to 20 big disasters, starting with Hurricane Sandy in New York City and on to Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, among others. That takes us back to that paperwork issue. She explains that in 2013, the Red Cross started to update and digitize all their volunteer health records, so they would be available online and could be filled out electronically, eliminating paper piles. But to do that, they had to start with the paper.
Troy Staples, Director of Preparedness for the CO/Wy Region and for years the Disaster Workforce Engagement Manager, explains what that entailed. “Star reported to me for years and it took years to get this done. Nationally, we knew we had to get these forms into an electronic format, so Star took on the region’s task. That involved following up with current and former volunteers to make sure their records were accurate and up-to-date. And because we had to go back and enter seven years’ worth, it involved thousands and thousands of paper questionnaires and hundreds of phone calls. If someone’s health status had changed, they had to fill out an updated form before being used for a disaster.”
At times it was a mind-numbing task, but they succeeded. The whole process is now electronic and staff and lead volunteers can make sure everyone deployed to a disaster is in good health to respond.
Her family is proud of her. One of her four grown children, a son who is an airline pilot, and his wife have decided that when they retire, they plan to volunteer for the Red Cross as a team and do disaster response like Star, carrying on the family’s service legacy.
Many dedicated volunteers are usually also donors because they see the needs we meet and the enormous needs out there. Star is no different. “When you believe in something, you support it,” she says. Lori Goldstein, the Gift Planning Officer for the CO/WY Region, talks about the award Star won for her lengthy and impressive service.
“This June, we had our volunteer awards virtually, which was a shame because Star couldn’t hear the applause when she was given the Clara Barton award for her service. I guess if I were to sum up what makes Star such a great volunteer, it would be her big heart and the energy she brings to all her jobs that would put people half her age to shame. She is just the epitome of the spirit of the Red Cross volunteer.”
Star encourages everyone she knows to volunteer for Red Cross. “You get so much more back than you give, and you get to meet people from all walks of life, both as clients and as volunteers. You can do as little or as much as you want. It all helps. When I tell people all the things the Red Cross does and all the attention that is paid to specific client needs, they can’t believe it.”
Of course, once you start, you may find some interesting things to do that keeps you even more engaged. If you would like to see what opportunities await you with Red Cross, visit our website.
