With a passion for helping others, Coco D'Angelo's leadership has grown as her Red Cross role expands. She now advises youth programs, while training to be a Disaster Action Team member and Emergency Medical Responder. Her dedication shows she’s committed to being a "Crosser for life." Photos courtesy of Coco D'Angelo.
By Mimi Teller/American Red Cross
Coco D’Angelo is not your average teenager. Long before starting her freshman year at UCLA, the American Red Cross Youth Leader had recruited over 800 blood donors and trained more than 200 people in Hands-Only CPR.
D'Angelo’s Red Cross journey began her freshman year of high school when she sought to broaden her experiences beyond her Opera and Musical Theater major by engaging in meaningful volunteer activities. She found her voice with the Red Cross youth volunteer program and by her junior year, she was serving on the Youth Executive Board as the Blood Health and Training Services Officer. In these roles, D’Angelo helped organize youth blood drives throughout LA and provide Hands-Only CPR training at community events.
Through the Red Cross, D'Angelo gained life-saving skills which not only prepared her to respond in emergencies but also deepened her commitment to public service. This training became especially meaningful when her father began struggling with breathing issues. Feeling helpless during his health challenges, she sought out Red Cross training, believing it could equip her with the skills to potentially save his life. Though she hasn’t yet had to use her training in a real emergency, D'Angelo now feels empowered, confident, and prepared to act if the need arises.
For nearly two years, D’Angelo has been teaching Hands-Only CPR and Stop the Bleed skills, while her youth advisor role oversees student volunteers, working directly with the executive board to plan and coordinate projects along all 5 lines of Red Cross services, including Disaster Cycle Services, Service to the Armed Forces, Training, International Services and Biomedical Services. D’Angelo is also a key figure in the READYTeens program, where she first joined as a student and now serves as both an instructor and section lead.
"I’m most proud of teaching back the skills I’ve learned," D’Angelo reflects. "When people can teach their community important skills, it grows the Red Cross mission. That’s what keeps me going."
Through the Red Cross, D'Angelo developed vital skills for emergencies, strengthening her commitment to public service. Though she hasn't faced an emergency yet, she feels ready and confident to help.
Driven by compassion, her leadership style has flourished as her involvement continues to expand. She is now a youth advisor overseeing youth activities, while training as a Disaster Action Team member and Emergency Medical Responder. D’Angelo plans to be a “Crosser for life.”
Learn more about our youth volunteer programs at redcross.org.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
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