Creating Community: What I learned during my time at the Red Cross

By Caroline Hroncich 

On a hot Monday in August I found myself standing on a street in the Bronx wearing a bright yellow and red reflective vest with two American Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers. They were assisting a woman who had lost her apartment of 15 years in a fire. She had just returned from the hospital, and, for someone who had just lost her home, she was surprisingly calm.

While I and the other DAT members were speaking with her, a young boy passed by, dribbling a basketball. “I’m glad you’re okay!” he yelled as he waved in our direction. The woman smiled and waved backed. I thought at that moment that this experience, although small, wholly summed up my time interning with the Red Cross. 

Before this summer, other than donating at the occasional blood drive, I had not interacted with the Red Cross. I was somewhat familiar with disaster relief, but had never quite taken that step to volunteer. So when I received an internship offer from the Communications Department of the Greater New York Red Cross Region, I eagerly accepted. What I learned about their work was much greater than I could have expected.

Interning with Communications, part of my job was to speak to with families who were helped by Red Cross volunteers in order to write their stories. I quickly learned that it doesn’t get easier listening to people tell the story of what may very well be the one of the worst days of their lives. Although all of these people came from different backgrounds and had suffered disasters ranging from fires to floods.

I realized they all had one thing in common: hope. There was a certain smile that appeared on someone’s face when he or she talked about that one special Red Cross caseworker or volunteer who had helped them through their difficult time.

The Red Cross creates a community for those who have experienced disasters; it creates a place where they can turn for reassurance that their hard time will end. It provides them with resources to help them effectively recover, and a case worker to help ensure that they do.  

So as I stood on that corner, watching this woman surrounded by her children and neighbors, I realized that community is what helps people truly recover from disasters. It’s the love and kindness of the people around you. By providing people with a place to turn, the Red Cross creates a community of resources and support, while simultaneously helping people preserve their own communities.

I was happy that this woman and her children would have a place to stay only a few blocks away from her neighborhood, so she could return and see the people she cared about the most. As the Red Cross van pulled away from the Bronx building, I was satisfied to know that we’d helped make her life just a little bit easier. Sometimes all you need is a simple “glad you’re okay!” to help you through the day; but for those times when you need a little bit more, it’s reassuring to know that the Red Cross is there to help.

My Experience as a Red Cross Summer Intern

by Emily Seyle

Having a passion for human rights, I was drawn to the idea of an internship with the Youth Services department at the American Red Cross Greater NY Region. As a senior pursuing a dual degree in economics and human rights at UConn, I have been learning about the amazing work of the American Red Cross for as long as I can remember.

Despite my relevant coursework however, I was truly naïve about the level of commitment by both staff and volunteers. Within minutes of walking through the door on my first day, it immediately became clear that the love for the work of the Red Cross runs deep throughout the region and organization as a whole.

Many of my responsibilities consisted of developing methods to engage students throughout the region as they are an integral part of present and future Red Cross efforts. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with student volunteers; it helped me understand the strength of the Red Cross. The accomplishments of these students is incredible. I felt inspired that the Red Cross works to not only inspire but to also empower its volunteers of all ages. A student once told me that volunteering for the Red Cross created opportunities they had never thought possible. As I write this post on my last day as a Youth Services Intern, I believe this same statement to be true for me as well.

The greatest impact this internship had on me was a result of my amazing supervisors, Amanda Crabbe and Trent Shafer. Amanda and Trent trusted me to take on projects and make them my own. I loved that I was constantly challenged to explore new avenues for completing tasks that served to mature my skillsets. Being able to contribute and develop my ideas without fear of rejection was the most important part of my internship because it allowed me to gain real work experience.

I am extremely fortunate to be able to say that my time as Communications and Social Media Intern for Youth Services is by far the best work experience I’ve ever had. As I go on to complete my final semester (and thus begin the daunting search for a career), I know that my internship with the American Red Cross provided me not only with invaluable skills and work experience but also a new place to call home. 

My Red Cross Internship

by Alice Ding

When I started my internship this summer in the Communications Department at the American Red Cross Greater New York Region, I had limited knowledge of the organization. On my first day, my supervisors gave me a brief tour of the office building and an overview of the mission of the Red Cross.

This was the first time I became aware that the organization is involved with blood drives as well as disaster relief efforts. Through my day-to-day tasks, mini-projects and a ride-along experience to a disaster response, I learned what it takes to be a Red Crosser.

I worked as a social media/editorial intern. Part of my job as an editorial intern was to interview volunteers and staff members to learn their Red Cross roles and experiences. One recurring theme during my conversations was genuineness. Everyone I interviewed said Red Crossers sincerely care about those in need. 

This was also my experience on a ride-along with Gerald Rothstein, a Red Cross volunteer disaster responder. Gerald was patient with a couple affected by a house fire, explaining how the Red Cross was able to assist them and answering all their questions. 

Even though they don’t go into the field as often as the responders, everyone in my department also cares about the community. My supervisors are constantly coming up with creative content to engage the public and inform them to be prepared in times of disaster. Part of my job is to monitor and update social media to help the community stay informed of disasters happening in the Greater NY region and the resources they can access.

As my internship progressed, I became proud to contribute to an organization that strives to help the community and places the well-being of people before anything else. I’m glad I was able to spend my summer around a group of selfless individuals. The most rewarding part for me was being able to speak to inspiring Red Crossers and help to spread their experiences to the community.

Going back and finishing my last semester at NYU as a communications major, I hope to continue stay involved with the Red Cross and help out when I can.