Prior to interning for the Red Cross I always used to look at group projects as a sort of chore. Now don’t get me wrong, I love working with other people. I just always felt that the distribution of work always seemed to be unequal. By that, I mean someone, usually me, would get stuck with doing most of the work. As a result, I subconsciously began to perceive group projects as burdensome and generally inefficient. Because of my experiences with the Red Cross, I now know that I was completely wrong. Working with other people to solve problems and complete tasks is the best way to get things done–especially in the world of humanitarian aid. Every individual has walked a different path of life and has experienced the world through their own perspective. Those differing experiences and perspectives strengthen a group’s ability to problem solve and to grow as people. I see that now.

In the Red Cross, individuals never act alone. Whether you’re doing DAT shifts or tabling for an event, there are always other volunteers with you. This means that I have had tons of opportunities to work with different people on varying projects. I’ve gotten the privilege to work with a volunteer, a retired stay-at-home mom, for a DAT call where a client’s home had been left inhabitable from a fire. This volunteer’s compassion and ability to comfort the client completely blew me away. I couldn’t think of the right words to say in the situation, but she absolutely did. I can’t help but think that maybe her walk of life left her with the experience to know how to make the client feel seen. This was her strength. In another instance, I was at the Stand Down event in Porter county. There, organizations gathered to give different resources to veterans in need. One table was giving out haircuts, another gave out boxes of food, others gave massages, and we handed out comfort kits (which include hygiene essentials). At this event, there were three Red Cross volunteers including myself. Interestingly enough, our backgrounds were completely different. While I’m a Psychology major who is working primarily in Disaster Cycle Services, Victoria works in Volunteer Services and is studying in the physician assistant program. The third volunteer, James, teaches night classes and works in the Health and Safety services. During the event, we were asked many questions about all of the different lines of service that the Red Cross does. I did not know the answers to a decent chunk of them. However, because all three of us were there and had come from differing backgrounds, when one of us didn’t have the answer another always did. It may seem like such a trivial thing, but I genuinely felt ecstatic to be able to contribute meaningfully while also being able to fully rely on my peers. Our differences made us stronger.

Working in groups can be really hard sometimes. Not every individual will have the same strengths or knowledge as you, but that is far from being a negative thing. The things that make us unique as individuals can also be what helps strengthen the group as a whole. Since having reflected upon this, I’ve become more excited to work in groups. I can’t wait to learn more about the people I will be working with and to see what manifests from our teamwork. I never know what to expect from people, but honestly that is the best part. Every person has a story to tell and I cannot wait to hear it.

– Tobias Hill, American Red Cross