Roland and Eric Stanley are a father and son-team passionate about emergency preparedness and disaster response! It has been almost ten years since they started their Red Cross volunteer journey. The two respond to disasters such as home fires in the Missouri and Arkansas region. During their responses, they provide individuals with emotional support and financial assistance and help initiate recovery. They also teach emergency preparedness classes through the Red Cross and FEMA for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens.
When they are not volunteering with the Red Cross, they are very active in their local community. The two have been with the Boy Scouts of America for over thirty years. Ronald serves as a commissioner, and Eric is a merit badge counselor in their local chapter. They also spend time volunteering with the St. Theresa Catholic Church. Additionally, Ronald serves as the Disaster Preparedness and Response Team Coordinator at St. Theresa Catholic School.
When I asked the dynamic duo what their motivation for volunteering was, they said, “we just have the desire to help and teach others.” Ronald has spent his life serving others. He is a retired police officer and served as Justice of the Peace for five years. Most notably, he is a United States Marine Corps Veteran. His son Eric has never let his disability get in the way of his passions.
The two enjoy spending their free time testing their outdoor skills. They have completed a thru-hike consisting of 223 miles of rocky and remote wilderness on the Ouachita Trail with a Boy Scout troop in tow. They also enjoy participating in Rendezvous with friends. Only items that would have been available during the early 1840s can be used during Rendezvous. This means they wear clothes they have made themselves, sleep in tents they constructed, and survive off the land for multiple days in all kinds of weather.
The pair said the best part of volunteering for the Red Cross is that they get to do it together. They enjoy the training opportunities the Red Cross provides volunteers and look forward to teaching more classes for the community and fellow volunteers. Ronald and Eric found a perfect fit at the Red Cross. They have been a wealth of knowledge to the Disaster Action Team. At almost 81 and 46, the team said slowing down is not in their future! They are looking forward to many more years with the Red Cross.
To make a difference in your local community, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday. The Red Cross has many different volunteer paths to fit your interest and schedule and provides training to all volunteers.