By Joe Guiterrez, American Red Cross volunteer

Ask Erin Kim why she became an American Red Cross volunteer, and she is pretty straightforward – to help people.

“What attracted me to this organization in the first place was that since my freshman year of high school, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in helping other people, which eventually led me to choose nursing,” Kim said. “I saw Red Cross as a big opportunity to do so.”

That started in 2017 when she, as a freshman at Eastlake High School in San Diego, joined her school’s Red Cross Club.

“The upperclassmen at the time told us about their experiences and brought guest speakers from the Red Cross who talked about all the different types of volunteering and opportunities to give back to the community,” she said. “Knowing that I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, I saw being part of the Red Cross as a way to help get my foot in the door.”

She was a member of the club for all four years at Eastlake, and also served as the club’s vice president.

She translated that commitment into joining the Red Cross San Diego Chapter, where she has been active in many Red Cross projects. In the past year, she became youth engagement lead for San Diego County, where she has excelled in leading and supporting youth initiatives, most notably Service Sundays that take place every month at the San Diego chapter.

In January, Erin, who currently attends Southwest College and will be transferring to Grand Canyon University in the summer for nursing school, hosted her very first blood drive, which was held at her church. Most of the participants were first-time donors.

“Seeing the turnout and the units collected after was very rewarding in an emotional way. It was the fact that my hard work makes a difference in the world that motivates me,” she said.

It’s that dedication to her team and community that led her to being named the Red Cross Volunteer of the Month for March 2025. The announcement of the honor stated, “Erin’s committed efforts to her team and her community do not go unnoticed and her dedication to service is highly admirable.”

Erin believes the Red Cross is a good fit for her because many of the organization’s volunteer positions require you to step up to become a leader. “This is something I have experience with from my work as a tutor, dance teacher, and other volunteer activities,” Erin said.

As youth engagement lead for Volunteer Services, Erin uses her high school experiences to help her lead and advocate during the planning stages of youth-oriented events such as Service Saturday.

Quick to give a shoutout to her team – Jazlyn Mendoza, Asriel Dela Rosa and Josh Katz – for their hard work and support, Erin said her work involves helping the interns and other Red Cross workers with managing high school clubs; charting and updating youth who have turned 18; helping organize youth events; and promoting blood drives.

Erin’s Red Cross moment came when she went to her first Service Saturday as a high school freshman. It was during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which struck parts of Texas and Louisiana. One of the youth events was to make and pack up care packages to send to those affected by the deadly hurricane.

“I met many different people from not only my school club, but from all over San Diego who came to the headquarters to help out,” Erin said. “To see so many people come because they cared about helping those in need was heartwarming.”

One of the best things about being a Red Cross volunteer is that she has met all the different types of people from various backgrounds and has formed many friendships along the way.

“It has always been extraordinary to work with different people and seeing the different inputs from their respective places. Volunteering with the Red Cross makes you acknowledge the importance of working with others and as a team,” Erin said.

To her fellow Red Cross volunteers, she would tell them to “always use our background as Red Cross workers/volunteers as a place of humility in our everyday lives. Volunteering has made me more humble and appreciative of what I have as I count my blessings every day.”

And her message to people considering becoming Red Cross volunteers: “There is always an output given back to you, whether great or small, when you give a positive input in. The Red Cross is the perfect place to see that positive cause and effect happening that gives meaning to one’s work.”