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By: Amita Kulkarni, youth volunteer, American Red Cross of Northwest New Jersey
People always say, "Don't forget to look at the 'bigger picture'" but I have to admit, sometimes that is difficult to remember. For the past four years, I have been volunteering with the American Red Cross of Northwest New Jersey. I, along with my peers, have worked tirelessly to "make a difference" on both a local and global level. Once in a while, we are able to step back and understand the progress our efforts have made. A few weeks ago, I was able to, again, step back and look at that "bigger picture" and I am thrilled I was given the opportunity.
A few volunteers from our chapter's Youth Council and I attended a Measles Initiative Youth Summit hosted by the medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), stationed in Franklin Lakes, NJ. BD—a partner with the Red Cross in the fight to eradicate measles and this summer—offered an internship to support the Measles Initiative. The summer intern, Laura Payne, organized the Summit and it was a huge success. I had the chance to meet with adults and youth alike that are at the forefront of the fight to end measles.
At the Summit, youth volunteers from Red Cross chapters throughout New Jersey had the opportunity to share their fundraising ideas and tell others what did and did not work for them. The Central Jersey Chapter organized a 3-on-3 basketball tournament while both my chapter and the Bergen-Hudson Chapter held Walk-a-Thons. The meeting was a great way to swap ideas and celebrate our dedication to the Measles Initiative. Furthermore, it felt great for students to be recognized by respected individuals like Julie Reynes, Vice President of International Services from National Headquarters; Ed Ludwig, Chairman, President, & CEO of BD; and Gary Cohen, Vice President of BD.
For me personally, the Youth Summit was eye-opening. As a Red Cross volunteer and Measles Youth Champion, I have supported the Measles Initiative for the past four years. I remember that four years ago, nearly 900,000 children died worldwide due to the effects of measles but today, the number has dropped significantly to almost 500,000 deaths worldwide. Work still has to be done but we are seeing results, a light at the end of such a dark, dismal tunnel.
The most poignant part of the Summit was when Julie Reynes played the video from her trip to Mozambique. I realized that our work, to raise money and awareness, is important and is helping children, even if we cannot always see it. In a few weeks, I leave for my first year of college where I'll face a new set of challenges and experiences (and definitely continue volunteering). Almost all of the youth volunteers that presented their projects at the Summit were also recent high school graduates, heading off to various universities. I'm sure I speak for all of them when I say it was extremely fulfilling to see that our hard work has made a significant difference and I'm proud to say I now understand the "bigger picture."
For more information on how you can get involved in advocating and grassroots fundraising like Amita Kulkarni, please contact Lily Jones, Outreach Coordinator at joneslil@usa.redcross.org.
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