Contact: Pooja Klebig
Telephone: (669) 209-5266
nccrpublicaffairs@redcross.org
SAN JOSE, Calif. (November 16, 2023) — In celebration of Military Family Appreciation Month, Veterans Day and in homage to the unwavering spirit of our founder, Clara Barton, the American Red Cross pays tribute to veterans who continue to exemplify the essence of service long after their active-duty commitments conclude.
“We’re grateful for the many veterans who continue to serve their communities and our country through the Red Cross,” said Nikki Rowe, Director of Service to the Armed Forces for the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. “We honor and thank those who’ve sacrificed so much in service to others.”
For more than 140 years, the Red Cross has served military members, veterans and their families. Throughout this time, veterans have stepped up to support their communities after their active-duty service ends by volunteering with the Red Cross. From the front lines of disaster recovery to service in the Veterans Administration (VA) and military hospitals across the nation and around the world, their impact is integral to the Red Cross mission.
As we recognize active-duty military members, families and their families this month, we were grateful to honor their sacrifices and stand alongside them during local Veteran’s Day Parades in San Jose, Petaluma, Salinas, Solano and Watsonville. Images from the parades can be found here. One such local military family, the Roys, honor their late daughter’s legacy by their volunteer work; we are proud to share their story below.
Honoring Patricia Roy’s Legacy Just three days after Patricia Roy turned 22, she died in a car accident. An Airman First Class and Cargo Specialist at Travis Air Force Base, she had plans to become a nurse, following in her mother, Virgie’s, footsteps.
The Roy family came to the United States from the Philippines in 2014, when Virgie was accepted into a program for foreign-trained nurses. She, too, was influenced by her mother who was a doctor in the Philippines and a Red Cross volunteer. Now, Virgie works in the Surgery Center at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California and she and her husband, Dennis, became Red Cross volunteers in 2021 to continue daughter Patricia’s legacy of serving her community and country.
Each year, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA08) recognizes outstanding women who reside in California's 8th District who have been nominated by their peers for demonstrating a clear commitment to their community through their leadership, volunteerism, and civic engagement. On October 12 in Benicia, Calif., 53 extraordinary women were honored, including Virgie. Virgie was recognized for being a dedicated and caring nurse at the David Grant Medical Center on Travis Air Force Base as well as being a dedicated Red Cross volunteer.
Read Virgie and Dennis Roy’s full story here.
THE HEART OF OUR WORKFORCE
More than 20,000 Red Cross volunteers are veterans, and hold many positions at the Red Cross, from nurses to logisticians, emergency management experts, project managers and preparedness experts. Veteran volunteers also hold leadership roles in local Red Cross chapters across the country.
GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME
Join the Hero Care Network as a volunteer caseworker and help provide the critical link for military members, veterans and their families during emergency situations. To learn more about how you can give back to your community, visit redcross.org/HeroCareVolunteer.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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