By: Mark Keplinger

Heather Pritchard is not the usual Red Cross volunteer. A long-time global traveler, Pritchard joins the Alaska team as the AmeriCorps member serving in the Interior territory based out of Fairbanks.

“Working with humanitarian volunteers has been some of the best experiences in my life doing the work itself and working with the clients, but also working alongside people that give their time. And so, I wanted to surround myself with more of those people,” Pritchard said.

Being an AmeriCorps member provides unique challenges and opportunities which Pritchard appreciates. It is a unique blend of being both a volunteer and a staff member. On the one hand, the AmeriCorps stipend is just enough to cover the cost of living. Pritchard is taking this role on because she believes in the mission of the Red Cross. On the other hand, Pritchard is staffed on matters like any other employee. She is an important part of the leadership team in the Interior territory.

Pritchard has been a humanitarian for some time now working for various international organizations. For example, she helped dig pit toilets in Fiji following a devastating typhoon that hit the country. This experience taught her the value of just being on-scene during a disaster, something that translated well when she began as a Disaster Action Team member.

Her experience in rural communities inspired two key focuses for Pritchard’s time with the Red Cross: preparedness and rural resiliency. “Having arrived after disasters and hearing people's stories... in an area that was cut off from all logistical support helps me understand the value of preparedness. Talking to communities about how to be prepared ahead of a disaster that mitigating the harm of a disaster and kind of looking ahead that really drives me,” Pritchard said.

One of her favorite preparedness memories was doing the Red Cross’s children’s program in the rural Alaskan village of Kotzebue. She presented both Prepare with Pedro and The Pillowcase Project to children of all ages. “It was [different] age levels, so I got to see the different developmental level of the kids. [So, I took] one storybook but adapted it to each grade level and started to understand their engagement and attention span levels and just how much fun they're had with some of the silly aspects of it,” Pritchard recalled.

Currently, Pritchard is working on the Sound the Alarm campaign while monitoring the progress of the spring breakup floods. This year’s focus city for Sound the Alarm in the Alaska region is North Pole, which is roughly ten miles southeast of Fairbanks. Although there are many challenges in trying to mass install free smoke alarms, Pritchard is excited for both the event and the planning process for it.

Pritchard is not sure what is next after her AmeriCorps year is up, but she did mention how she wishes to remain active in the Home Fire Campaign program. Wherever she may end up, one region will gain a valuable Red Cross volunteer and humanitarian in its ranks.