During Red Cross Month in March, we honor how people deliver support when help can’t wait. Their everyday actions advance our lifesaving mission — which has been at the heart of communities for more than half of our country’s 250-year history.

Today, people of all ages come together to strengthen communities and care for each other. Here are some of the volunteers who unite from different generations to make our work possible:

‘I Really Felt Emotionally Like I Was Directly Making an Impact’

A college freshman, Natasha Banga has been a Red Cross volunteer for the North Texas Red Cross Region since her first year of high school. Her involvement took off in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when she served as a youth lead for a humanitarian mapping effort that could be done virtually.

“It was really a super exciting experience to get involved with communities in areas that aren't even on platforms like Google Maps and Google Earth,” she said. “And what's important is that the American Red Cross can take advantage of these maps to find these communities and actually support them.”

She’s also served as an officer on her local Red Cross Youth Services Executive Board, coordinating activities across several program areas to touch the lives of many.

“At my school, we held a Totes of Hope drive. We collected hygiene products and food items for homeless veterans in the region,” Banga said. “[Tom] was a Red Crosser who came to pick up items and transfer them to the Dallas Veteran Services Office. He told us how he himself is a veteran and had been homeless for a time. But it was the Red Cross who helped him get back up on his feet. That was one moment where I really felt emotionally like I was directly making an impact.”

As Banga pursues her next chapter in college, she encourages students to focus not on adding yet another extracurricular to their resume, but on discovering a genuine enthusiasm in uplifting the greater community.

“Find what you're interested in and just hone your passions in it. Let things happen naturally,” Banga said.

‘Giving Back to This Community Is Very Meaningful to Me’

Myka Green volunteers in many ways with the Red Cross to be involved in her community, and she feels a special connection through its Service to the Armed Force (SAF) program.

“As the spouse of an active-duty Marine and daughter of a U.S. Navy veteran, giving back to this community is very meaningful to me,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate to benefit from the support it provides, from attending UC Berkeley, tuition-free through my father’s service, to becoming a medical assistant through a military spouse scholarship. Volunteering with the Red Cross, especially the SAF, feels like an impactful way to pay that forward.”

Recognized as a Red Cross Volunteer of the Month, Myka played a key role in onboarding a local women, infants and children program at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, where she serves multiple shifts a week to assist service members, families and veterans. She gives her time in other ways too, including through the Red Cross Hero Care Center to support families who need to send emergency communications messages to loved ones who are deployed.

While volunteering at a military spousal resource event, Myka spoke with a woman whose life was touched through these services. “Hearing firsthand how the projects I was involved in had a tangible, meaningful impact on someone’s life was incredibly rewarding,” she said. “That moment made me realize that my efforts were directly improving the lives of the people and community I’d committed to serving when I joined the Red Cross.”

Myka was recently accepted into medical school and plans to become a physician, specifically serving the military community.  “Looking ahead, my goal is to remain active with the Red Cross and eventually return as a volunteer physician,” she said.

‘I Believe It Is Critical to Give Back’

Dan Hewitt gives his time as a blood donor ambassador for the Missouri-Arkansas Red Cross Region, greeting donors at blood drives, helping them check in and thanking them for rolling up a sleeve. He got into volunteering after donating for more than 20 years. 

“I regularly gave blood because I believe it is critical to give back,” Dan said. “But when I heard about the need for platelet donations, I began to donate every two weeks. I had several friends who were dying of cancer and wanted to help.”

Eventually, Dan was no longer able to give because of medical reasons — but that didn’t stop him from staying involved in his community. 

“I decided I could contribute in other ways and became a Red Cross volunteer,” he said, adding that he was surprised at the many services the Red Cross provides and the range of volunteer opportunities. 

“The Red Cross is flexible in matching candidates with their interest and abilities,” he added.

Join Us

Every contribution matters — and Red Cross Month is a great time to get involved. Visit redcross.org to volunteer, make a financial donation, give blood or take a class in lifesaving skills.