This National Volunteer Week, which will be observed Sunday through April 21, the Southeast Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross is celebrating its dedicated volunteers and partners.
These volunteers power the American Red Cross, making it possible for the organization to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.
The Red Cross is also encouraging people who have been thinking about volunteering to take the plunge. People wanting to make a difference should contact the local chapter to learn about getting involved. Right now the Red Cross especially needs people who work with disasters.
Volunteers are central to the work of the Red Cross in Southeast Arkansas and in communities across the country, as on average, the Red Cross has 15 volunteers for every one employee. These volunteers are people in action — whether providing comfort to a family whose home has been washed away in a flood or getting an emergency message to a member of the family whose father is critically ill.
American Red Cross volunteers:
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
• Teach first aid, CPR, swimming and other life-saving skills
• Respond to disasters and reconnect families separated by disasters or conflict
• Support blood drives across the country
• Help veterans, members of the military and their families in the U.S. and overseas
Red Cross volunteers are united by their service and the feeling that in changing others’ lives, their lives are also changed.
To volunteer, contact the Southeast Arkansas Chapter at 870-534-7312.