by Patricia Billinger
Videos by Courtney Vermeer
Imagine if your job involved getting awoken in the middle of the night, without notice, and having to head out into the dark, the snow, the rain.
Imagine if your job involved spending up to 12 hours carefully driving up and down roads that are often damaged – and sometimes impassible.
Imagine if your job involved dedicating yourself to organizing, training, practicing and preparing…for something that might never happen, but which could be worse than you ever imagined when it does happen.
Now imagine that you don’t get paid a dime for all your time and hard work.
Red Cross volunteers do all of these things – and more – every day in Colorado and around the country. And they do it for free.
Why would anyone give so much? We asked our own volunteers, and here it is in their own words.
You’ll see that they share a common love of helping others and enjoy the satisfaction of making a difference. Their commitment and their experiences are inspiring.
If, after watching these videos, you feel inspired, we encourage you to donate to support our ability to make their work possible. Your donations pay for the food and clothing and clean-up kits they give out, the Emergency Response Vehicles they drive to deliver aid – and the gas to fuel those vehicles – the training that prepares them to help those in need, the blankets they wrap around shivering victims and even the vests they wear as a sign that hope and help are on the way.
Make it possible for these amazing volunteers to continue giving back by joining us #Allin1Day on June 2: http://givingday.redcross.org.
Michael: Helping someone on Christmas Eve
Judy: “It only works if you don’t think of yourself as one person; you think of yourself as a team.”
Susan: “There was nothing but a slab and some rubble…”
Les: Giving people the resources to be resilient