The reasons why volunteers join the American Red Cross are various, yet the one thing they all share is the reward of having helped someone, of making a positive impact on someone’s life. Such rewarding experiences keep Red Crossers motivated to be lifetime volunteers. “It’s all about the feeling you get when you’ve help someone work through a disaster,” expressed Shirley Bisciglia.
Shirley has been a Red Cross volunteer for 40 years. Starting out when her children were preschoolers, Shirley figured she could volunteer while her children went to daycare and interacted with other children. To this day, Shirley is an active Red Crosser who seeks to inspire others to become Red Cross volunteers.
Diana Lombana joined the Red Cross in 2020 after experiencing three hurricanes not long after moving to Louisiana. She saw the community’s need for help after the disasters, so she decided to jump in and be of service.
Both Diana and Shirley volunteer as caseworkers. Diana decided to become a caseworker to help the increasing Spanish-speaking population who often face the language barrier when expressing their needs. Shirley, on the other hand, found her interest in casework by taking a class on casework.
The Red Cross offers a variety of trainings and conferences, not only to train volunteers in their specific roles, but also as a tool to help them figure out their interests. These range from disaster cycle services training, hurricane conferences, social media trainings, to CPR and First Aid certifications, and much more.
An immense number of positions are available to suffice the interest of volunteers in the Red Cross; when you do something you enjoy, you want to keep doing it. One of the many rewards of being a Red Crosser is that you find constant motivation in helping others because you genuinely enjoy what you do.
Shirley (and her cat, Misty) offer virtual assistance to those recovering from disasters
Diana makes calls and provides virtual assistance
“To be a caseworker, one must have compassion for others and desire to help them find what they need to move forward,” expressed Shirley. As a caseworker, Shirley works with victims of disasters - whether it be a house fire or a hurricane - and helps them find the resources to recover. She acts as a guide and a listening ear. One of the things she enjoys the most is encouraging her clients to take the steps needed to get back on their feet. After losing everything one has ever worked for, it can be discouraging and difficult to find the drive to start from zero and regain control of one’s life. A caseworker works to alleviate this suffering.
Similarly, Diana serves as a listening ear and advisor to her clients. She agrees that being a good listener and being compassionate are the most important qualities a caseworker should have. In an interview, Diana expressed how significant it is to her that her clients speak frankly with her about their specific necessities and situations to be able to offer her clients the most effective resources. As one of the few bilingual caseworkers in the Louisiana Region, Diana often serves as an intercessor between her clients and the various federal aid agencies they are referred to during the disaster recovery process. Upon seeing the necessity of the Spanish-speaking community, who often are limited to express their specific needs and characteristics given the language barrier, Diana decided to only take cases of Spanish speakers. By being an intercessor between her clients and businesses, she has, as a Red Cross volunteer, influenced other agencies to offer bilingual services.
While once upon a time the casework job was done in-person, nowadays, it is conducted virtually. The job can be done from home, as expressed Shirley, “I sit on my recliner chair and do my casework.” As a volunteer, you can make your own schedule, she explained; you can give as much time as you want, working a minimum of two hours a week. While she would like to meet her clients in person, it is a somewhat unrealistic task given that she and other caseworkers cover the entire state. On the other hand, Diana thinks the virtual conduction of casework is perfect because you can do it at any time and place; all you need is a computer and good training on the program used to collect data.
By dedicating time to speak with clients and listen their needs, Shirley and Diana hold the mission of the Red Cross very highly as they alleviate the pain, worries and needs of disaster victims after they have lost their way of life, guiding them as they take the next steps to recovery.
If you would like to join the Red Cross and fulfill the most-needed caseworker volunteer role, please watch this video with Shirley and Diana, visit www.redcross.org to sign up or reach out to Shirley or Diana directly.
The selfless, compassionate people who constitute the Red Cross volunteer force account for 90% of the Red Cross organization. If you would like to support our cause of alleviating human suffering, consider becoming a volunteer.