It is fair to say that being of a mom of three active teenagers, finishing a doctoral dissertation and opening a therapy practice on my own means doesn’t leave me with a lot of extra free time.
That doesn’t mean though, that I don’t have the desire to give back to my community and to teach my children to do the same. I was always taught growing up that you use your gifts to make the world better for others. So, we as a family donate time and treasure as much as I can.
What’s hard is making time when time isn’t on your side. When we had disaster relief efforts right in our backyard, I was able to physically be there. But when floods hit my friends in Houston or West Virginia a few years ago, I couldn’t throw everyone in my truck and head there to help with recovery efforts (I tried, I swear!).
What I loved learning about the Red Cross is not only about the impactful and even life-saving work they do, but also how you and I can be of assistance in our own communities as well as in times of crisis even if we’re not in the eye of a storm.
How Can I Help?
No matter your time or talent area, there is something for you at the Red Cross. Did you know you could give back both locally and from a distance by:
- Hosting a blood drive
- Helping military members and their families in your area
- Donating blood at a local center
- Joining your local home fire response team
- Participating in a Home Fire Campaign (kids too)
- Creating maps to be used after natural disasters (from your couch!)
- Using your voice to amplify information when needed
I Told You It Was Easy
The Red Cross team is made up of more volunteers than paid staff. The life-saving work of the Red Cross wouldn’t be possible without people like you and I. The organization really values their team and they make it simple for us to join.
Just visit the RedCross.org where you can browse local opportunities, search by keyword or even take a quiz to match you up with the best role for you. There is something for everyone with the Red Cross. And everyone is helping make the world better, which is what we’re all after anyway, right? Even if it is from our own couch.
This and the linked Red Cross post are part of a sponsorship with The American Red Cross. All opinions are my own.
P.S. Looking for more parenting guidance and tips for self-care? Check out From Chaos to Calm a guided training to help you feel better in this tough season.
