Dan Willan volunteers with the American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties in several capacities and was recently named Volunteer of the Month.
“Enjoy what you do and help those who need it. We are fortunate to be able to assist someone with our experience, strength, hope and knowledge.”
- Dan Willan
By Joe Gutierrez, American Red Cross volunteer
As most American Red Cross volunteers will tell you, serving in the non-profit organization often means wearing a number of different hats to help their communities during disasters, be they local, across the country or around the world.
Dan Willan stands out as an exceptional example of that volunteer service as a member of the Red Cross San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter. He holds volunteer positions in Disaster Service Technologies, Disaster Action Team, Sheltering, Feeding, Disaster Assessment, Disability Integration, Disaster Duty Officer, Disaster Communications and a Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installer.
Described by his fellow volunteers as an ‘All-Star Disaster Responder,’ it should come as no surprise that Dan, who joined the Red Cross in 2017, has been named July 2024 Volunteer of the Month.
He got involved with the Red Cross as a member of the City of San Diego Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), where he learned about amateur HAM radio and obtained a technician license. Some of his CERT team members also served on the Red Cross Disaster Service Technologies and Communications Team.
“I attended a meeting and started volunteering for Red Cross Disaster Communications and Computer Services,” Dan said. “We did ARRL (American Radio Relay League) field days and worked on the communications trailer and equipment.”
His interest in other volunteer roles came post-COVID while at a Red Cross volunteer fair, where he learned about all the other Group Activity Positions (GAPs) a volunteer could earn. He credits the organization’s mission statement and helping others as “what got me interested in volunteering my time and energy.”
Dan says his work as a sales engineer for a telecommunications company makes him a good fit for the Red Cross.
“I am a nerd and enjoy technology,” Dan said. “I get to meet people all day and when we are talking about philanthropies, I bring up the American Red Cross.”
He said what motivates him to stay involved is “meeting people who are like-minded and helping people on their worst day to assist them in their recovery.”
Dan said he had his “Red Cross moment” while on a Disaster Action Team call at 2 a.m. for a single-family fire. He met the individual displaced on a neighbor’s front porch. The individual had her three West Highland Terrier “Westie” dogs with her: a male, a female, and a puppy. Dan said he sat on the ground, and the female dog lay on his lap while he did the intake and learned about the client and her life.
“She was so thankful for us coming out to help her,” Dan said.
He said the best thing about volunteering with the Red Cross is that “I get to set my schedule and mostly it is just waiting for a call. When there is an event, I am asked to do different tasks associated with my GAPs and skill sets. It makes me feel useful and appreciated.”
His advice for fellow Red Cross volunteers is no surprise.
“Enjoy what you do and help those who need it. We are fortunate to be able to assist someone with our experience, strength, hope and knowledge,” Dan said. “The passion we have for serving others is a gift, use it wisely and take care of yourself first. Do the right thing for the right reason, we will be here for you too.”
His message for potential Red Cross volunteers is simple.
“If you have a desire to serve society, the American Red Cross is a multifaceted organization that looks to you to help others in times of need. You have skill sets that are all your own and can be shared with others in picking the right position. The training the American Red Cross provides is very helpful and assists you in learning more about processes, procedures and safety for you and others. The best part is you pick when you want to volunteer using their website and can see the entire calendar for upcoming events. If one position isn’t a right fit, there are plenty of other positions that you might have never thought of and can expand your knowledge base. Give it a try.”
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