National Youth Involvement Month is one of the Red Cross National Youth Council’s most exciting and encompassing annual initiatives aiming to celebrate the accomplishments of Red Cross youth and young adult volunteers across the nation. Taking place in November, NYIM has a different theme each year: this year’s theme is “Youth: Heroes in Action.” This National Youth Involvement Month, Red Cross LA celebrates the contributions of exceptional youth and young adult volunteers in the region. 

By Paru Nair/American Red Cross

I joined the American Red Cross in December 2020. Initially, I was interested in the medical field and wondered if volunteering with the Red Cross would give me related exposure, but I stayed on with the organization for a different reason — I found a strong connection to serving my community through volunteering, something that I largely developed through my experience with the READYteens program. 

The READYteens Program educates high school and college aged students in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Youth volunteers get extensive, hands-on experience in the disaster field through three main training programs including the Summer Program, Bootcamp, and Club Academy.These curriculums let youth volunteers lead presentations and enhance community preparedness.

READYteens was my first introduction to the Red Cross, allowing me to build my first connections with other volunteers in the organization. I gained an even greater appreciation for the program when I promoted to Section Lead, where I got a chance to engage with our participants as an instructor. When I was then given the opportunity to return to the program as the READYteens Program Coordinator I was ecstatic.  

I am currently in my second year as program coordinator where my duties include managing program outreach, collaborating with our youth volunteer leadership team from four program sites, and overseeing the revision of our program’s curriculum. 

I am especially grateful for the amazing people at the Red Cross who have supported me throughout my time in this leadership role. 

This experience has given me a great appreciation for connecting with others, which I think is the most impactful value I’ve gained from volunteering with our youth groups. In fact, that’s my favorite part of getting to work with the Red Cross; I’ve met a ton of wonderful people over the years and have made many lasting friendships because of my service.  

While I won’t resume my leadership position after our 2024 program concludes, I intend to serve my community with the Red Cross for many years to come.  

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/la or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.