The American Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes, around the clock, 365 days a year. But our humanitarian work wouldn't be possible without our tireless volunteers, who constitute 97 percent of our total work force. Nearly 50,000 responded to the September 11 tragedy. Thousands still remain on the scene, and will remain there as long as there is a need.

Red Cross "everyday heroes" come from all walks of life and from all age groups. Everyone has something special to offer and everyone has an inspiring story to tell. There are many faces of service, and these are their stories.

Zimbabwe Native Becomes Devoted AIDS Educator

Written by Christina Ward, Staff Writer, Redcross.org

Neville Ansley has been a Red Cross volunteer since 1997, when he first arrived in the United States.

March 6, 2002— Before Neville Ansley moved to the United States five years ago, he experienced many of the difficulties of life in Africa — from enduring international sanctions against his home country of Zimbabwe, to serving as a combat soldier during war. But it was a very different hardship that shaped his current role as an American Red Cross volunteer: watching a friend deteriorate from a killer disease in South Africa.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Ansley moved to South Africa — a nation with one of the highest AIDS death rates in the world — in 1981. During his time there, "I helped a friend's family drive him to and from his treatment for AIDS," Ansley explained. "I had known this person for some years, and to see the ravages of AIDS firsthand is an experience not easily forgotten."

He relocated to the United States in 1997 when his wife was recruited to work at a large Minneapolis company. While waiting for his U.S. work certification papers, Ansley looked into making valuable use of his free time by volunteering. Initially, he considered something he had done before, albeit a world away: Drive Minneapolis-area AIDS patients to their medical appointments.

"To do this I had to be certified by the American Red Cross in HIV/AIDS," 52-year-old Ansley said. The requirement brought him to the classrooms of the Minneapolis Area Chapter of the Red Cross, where he heard about several openings for additional volunteer instructors. Knowing all too well the critical need for public education about the deadly disease, Ansley changed his mind about the type of volunteerism he wanted to pursue. Rather than become a driver, he signed up to complete necessary instruction certification and join the Red Cross HIV/AIDS education team.

Ansley had never been a part of a volunteer-based organization before. In Zimbabwe, where he lived for 32 years, his office job and role in the military took up most of his free time. "I did not think of working as a volunteer, because my job was critical to the economy — and when my work was not critical, I served in a combat role in the army."

But after a short while with the Red Cross, Ansley was hooked. It wasn't long before his passion for AIDS education led him to increase his volunteer hours. In addition to teaching instructor courses, he helped the Red Cross staff develop an HIV/AIDS outreach program for the local African American community. He proposed the idea of a "speakers bureau," in which trained educators would visit local schools, community organizations and corporate groups, teaching HIV/AIDS understanding and prevention. The Red Cross Speakers Bureau is now a reality in Minneapolis.

"Neville's leadership has helped the chapter reach nearly 11,000 people during the past year, through presentations to schools and other groups. He has also taken the HIV message to high-risk youth groups in the area," said Cindy Bahmer, manager of volunteer services at the Minneapolis chapter. His abilities as a teacher are well known, she added. "Instructors that Neville teaches leave with a base of factual knowledge on HIV prevention, and are inspired to reach out to the community with this knowledge."

While HIV/AIDS education is Ansley's primary focus as a Red Cross volunteer, he has also served in many other arenas with the organization. He provides disaster relief in local emergencies as a volunteer with the Minneapolis chapter's Disaster Action Team, and is also a regular blood donor.

Ansley said his drive to volunteer has been fueled by a desire to affect someone in a positive way — even if it's just one person.

"If I speak about HIV/AIDS for the rest of my life and make a difference in only one life, I will have gained a great gift," he said. "I would love to see everyone who listens to me achieve old age without any AIDS infections. Is that realistic? No. Does that mean we give up? No, we reach out for the one person who will listen, even if we never know who they are."

Ansley returned to South Africa on a visit in December 2001. The trip served as a stark reminder of the continuing devastation caused by AIDS in that country.

Hoping to check in on some old friends, he called the company where he had worked for 12 years and asked about various former colleagues. "I was told they had died," Ansley said. "Even though no one will say they died of AIDS-related illnesses, I knew this to be true. So many people cannot die in such a short time, unless there is a war."

"These deaths are due to a lack of education, more than a lack of medication," he added. "Sadly, most of us only become involved with HIV/AIDS when we are either infected or affected."

Ansley's never-ending efforts to serve the Minneapolis community do not go unappreciated: He recently received the American Red Cross Health and Safety Volunteer of the Year Award for 2001 from the Minneapolis Area Chapter.

For more information, visit these Web sites:

American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Programs

Minneapolis Area Chapter of the American Red Cross

More stories

 84-Year-Old Volunteer Brings Journalism Expertise to Red Cross
 Sept. 11 Inspires Young Afghan Volunteer to Help Red Cross
 President Bush Recognizes Longtime Red Cross Volunteer
 Disaster Volunteers Help Red Cross Chapter Grow
 Disaster Response Leader Juggles High School and Red Cross
 Volunteer Counselor Brings Peace to N.Y. Paramedic
 Zimbabwe Native Becomes Devoted AIDS Educator
 Platelet Donor and Loyal Volunteer Takes to the Road
 Unique Volunteer Provides Spiritual Care to WTC Victims
 Red Cross Disaster Relief Worker Saves Life on Day Off
 Busy Executive Makes Time to Volunteer
 Blood Center Volunteer Puts Donors at Ease
 Red Cross Volunteer Knocks Down Language Barriers
 A Life-Long Relief Worker Faces Her Greatest Challenge
 Red Cross First Aid Student Saves Child's Life
 Retired Couple Spends Holidays Helping Sept. 11 Victims
 New Volunteer Recounts Stories from Ground Zero
 Bob Heintzelman, Harrisburg, Pa.: School Principal Turned Red Cross Disaster Leader
 Attacks Inspire First-time Blood Donor