By Noreen Walton, American Red Cross volunteer

Alexis Hernandez, November Volunteer of the Month, is the only youth volunteer on the American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties’ newly-formed Diversity and Inclusion Team. He brings high energy and a unique point of view to this group’s important work for the region.

As a junior at Point Loma High School, Alexis began the school year looking for extra-curricular activities for his college applications. The Red Cross, and the Diversity and Inclusion Team, seemed like a good fit.

“The Red Cross is very diverse and helps many types of communities,” Alexis explains. “Being Hispanic, I’ve seen people struggling to speak English or struggling to understand what is being said.” To address those struggles, Alexis agreed to take on what his fellow team members describe as “a massive project” – translating the Red Cross general volunteer monthly newsletter into Spanish.

Alexis sets aside five to six hours each month to complete the translation. “I believe that reading the newsletter in Spanish allows our Spanish speaking volunteers to have a deeper understanding of Red Cross’ work and mission.” In addition to the volunteer newsletter, Alexis also translates the Red Cross youth volunteer newsletter into Spanish.

Proud of the contributions he is making to Red Cross, Alexis also believes that the Red Cross has provided him with a unique opportunity to strengthen his leadership skills and promote bilingualism. He also encourages others to volunteer. “The Red Cross uses your time well. The Red Cross is always coming up with new ideas and always adding new volunteers to their teams.”

To learn more about youth volunteer opportunities or to become a Red Cross volunteer, please visit redcross.org/volunteer.