By Dan Dowling – regional communications manager

“I've been a soldier in peacetime and in wartime. Sometimes you just need a little bit of hearing somebody's voice to help you keep going.”

Vermonter Nan Boisse is a dedicated Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer with the American Red Cross. Her Red Cross journey started while she was working for the Department of Homeland Security.

Nan was setting up emergency radio communications and discovered the Red Cross had similar systems already in operation. She was impressed and decided to learn more. Nan first joined the Red Cross as a disaster services volunteer, assisting in shelters and driving emergency response vehicles filled with critical recovery supplies.

“I moved to Vermont after I was deployed for the US Army Signal Corps overseas. I was representing the United States with NATO,” she recalls.

Nan eventually found her way to the Service to the Armed Forces.  The mission of the American Red Cross was born on the battlefield through Clara Barton’s care for Civil War soldiers. Today, the organization continues to serve the U.S. military community from the time a service member takes the oath to navigating life as a veteran.

“I was with the Red Cross for quite a while before I found out really what the full role of the Service to the Armed Forces was,” says Nan.

SAF, specifically, helps military members, veterans, and their families prepare for, manage and respond to the challenges of service. SAF offers a variety of free resiliency workshops aimed at tackling the military community’s unique challenges and stressors. Our volunteers provide care, comfort and therapy at veteran hospitals and military treatment facilities. And we support caregivers of our nation’s injured military and veterans of all eras, through online and in-person peer support to reduce their isolation, increase their sense of hope and further develop their knowledge and skills.

Guided by our Congressional Charter, the Red Cross also provides communication between service members and their families during times of emergency, even facilitating their return home, if necessary, through the Hero Care Network.

“Just because you are discharged from the military doesn't mean the Red Cross stops supporting you. If someone has a severe illness or a death in the family, they need to contact a soldier who may be deployed or overseas,” Nan says.

Her time with SAF has been marked by powerful experiences. One winter night, Nan received a call from two veterans sleeping in their car in freezing temperatures. Both were grappling with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Nan stepped in, connecting them to someone who could secure a warm place for them to stay.

“That felt good to help them. They didn't know the Red Cross could help,” she recalls.

Nan’s role often involves bridging the distance between deployed service members and their families during pivotal life events. Whether it's setting up calls from a base or organizing resources for a family in need, she ensures that communication remains a lifeline.

“They call or email us, and I look for someone who can help who is close,” Nan explains.

Nan hopes that more Red Cross volunteers will consider learning about SAF, and how they can help. She says that there is an opportunity for everyone at the Red Cross.

“You don't have to be a veteran to be a volunteer for the Service to the Armed Forces, and you don't have to be a health professional to volunteer at a blood drive, and you don’t have to be a psychologist to volunteer at a shelter. Educate yourself on what is a good fit for you,” Nan says.

Each year, over 240,000 military and veteran families benefit from these critical programs. Here in Northern New England, SAF provided more than 3,400 services to military members, veterans and their families last year. Nan is passionate about ensuring service members and their families know the Red Cross is there for them.

“It’s about educating not only the person who's deploying, but also educating the people who are left behind,” she says.

Together, we can make a difference for those who serve. To learn more about the Service to the Armed Forces or to get involved, visit redcross.org/saf.