I began interning for the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the Red Cross about a month ago and in that time I’ve learned so much about what it means to be a member of a non-profit organization run primarily by volunteer work. To be candid, the work done here is nothing like any of the work I have ever done in the best way possible. Each week has a different schedule and most days I end up meeting someone new as well. However, whether I spend a day canteening at a Triathlon or spend the week mostly at either the Merrillville or South Bend offices, I always learn something new. 

What surprised me most in the first couple weeks was the variety of opportunities to engage within the Red Cross. When most people think about the Red Cross the first thing that usually comes to mind is donating blood and mass care for national disasters. However, the first big event that I attended was neither. It was a Sound The Alarm event where volunteers of the Red Cross came together to help install new smoke alarms within the homes of Aetna, Gary. We joined up in groups of roughly four where each Red Cross volunteer was assigned a role. I was given the role of documenter which meant I was able to interact with clients and document the information (ie: how many alarms installed, how many didn’t work, etc.). The other roles were those who installed the smoke alarms, those who gave the clients information about hazards and went over an emergency plan, and the final volunteers were extra support for the installer. The coolest part was that this event was completely open to the public. Local community members could walk in and help out or request for their home to have smoke alarms installed. It was honestly heart-warming to see volunteers from the Red Cross, members of the local fire department, and random everyday people working all towards the same goal. Until this point I hadn’t considered what else the Red Cross was doing in the local communities, but I quickly found it was only the tip of the iceberg. From presenting to kids about being prepared on what to do if there was a fire to canteening for a triathlon early in the morning there is an opportunity for many kinds of people with vastly different interests.

Though the work itself is new for me, something that struck me as the most important difference was how the staff interacts with the people volunteering/working for them. I’m pretty accustomed to the rise and grind mentality fostered in academic settings and spaces like food service. However, the patience and genuine care I’ve seen and experienced from the people I work with has blown me away. Despite there being what seems like a million responsibilities on my supervisor Brent’s plate, he always takes the time to step back from that to check in on me–he’s even had to remind me to drink water and eat a couple times during long events. But it isn’t just him, every single one of the people I have met through working with the Red Cross has had that same passion of caring for others. I’ve met Penny who loves her community so much that she spends all of her time organizing events to help make it safer and welcoming. I’ve met Maddie, another intern, who spends tons of her time doing casework to help clients with their recovery in between classes and still somehow makes time to help me. I also met Kristen who, despite always being so busy, smiles so big while she works that you can’t help but to also smile. And there are so many more! Working with all of them has really lit a fire in me. The power of just being kind and welcoming can completely change the environment of a workplace. I know that while I work with them I will always have the space I need to grow and make mistakes–while still fostering that genuine love for the work itself. I’m not sure if they know the impact they have had on me just by being themselves, but I surely won’t forget it or them anytime soon. Someday, I hope to make the impact they have on me everyday for someone else.

– Tobias Hill, American Red Cross