Reno, Nev. (May 31, 2021) – Barbara Sealy and Julie Street, both of Winnemucca have been honored by the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross for exceptional volunteer service. Sealy and Street, along with other winners were announced during the chapter’s annual meeting held recently and conducted virtually.
“In the past fiscal year, Red Cross volunteers in Northern Nevada have worked12,569 hours in voluntary service,” stated Mary Powell, executive director of the Northern Nevada chapter. “I know the numbers don’t always reflect the whole story, but they do represent the incredible amount of time donated to the Red Cross. Behind each of those hours is an impact. These hours reflect preparedness programs being delivered, work in our Service to the Armed Forces program, home fire and disaster responses and delivering services to clients. It also reflects the daily tasks that keep us running to ensure our chapter can respond at a moment's notice.”
Volunteers serve locally, and often travel outside the state to assist communities during times of disaster. The Chapter has more than 200 volunteers representing communities in 13 counties throughout northern Nevada. Over 90% of the Red Cross workforce is made up of volunteers. The volunteers honored are:
The Clara Barton Honor Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership
Barbara Sealy
Winnemucca resident Barbara Sealy has received the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Leadership, the highest award given to a chapter volunteer. She has worn several hats throughout her 18 years of service. For much of her volunteer time, Barb was the Sheltering lead for Humboldt and Pershing Counties and the Fort McDermitt Reservation. In addition to ensuring the Winnemucca shelter trailer was stocked, she reached out to people in Battle Mountain and on the reservation to ensure they had the training and resources needed for sheltering. When Red Cross sheltering was needed after the Wells earthquake, Barb helped the Elko volunteers in Wells, 180 miles away, securing a building which could safely be used as a shelter since so many had been damaged. On a moment's notice, Barb will drive to places up to 2 hours away, day or night, to deliver care and comfort to people in need. Despite health issues, she is vigilant in making sure that Red Cross services continue, and ensures that the organization operates as a trusted partner to emergency managers in her area. Thanks to Barb and other volunteers, the Winnemucca unit continues to be highly productive, touching lives and helping people in numbers far out of proportion to the size of the unit.
Special Citation of Exceptional Volunteer Service
Julie Street
This award honors a volunteer whose sustained performance over a period of several years has substantially exceeded the volunteer’s original commitment to The American Red Cross. As a young lifeguard, Julie began her Red Cross service as a Lifeguard Trainer, a role she maintained until just last year. She has held several volunteer titles and has been the face of the Red Cross in Winnemucca over the past 32 years. The Winnemucca location is a satellite office to the chapter headquarters in Reno. Julie started off occasionally helping her sister-in law, who managed the office, and when her sister-in-law moved away, she quietly and efficiently stepped in and assumed the responsibility. And while there is no paid staff in Winnemucca, Julie manages the office at all levels, from responding to phone calls to ordering supplies and equipment. In addition, she has open office hours for the community twice a week. She schedules use of the classroom, cleans the office, and during Covid, Julie sanitized the office to ensure extreme safety. Together with her husband David, she takes care of the Red Cross vehicle positioned in Winnemucca. She has assisting in community events that recognized local heroes, including honoring people that she trained in CPR who used their training to save a life. Julie has represented the Red Cross in the quarterly emergency preparedness meetings with local police and fire departments, and also teaches preparedness programs in area schools, in addition to supporting the Home Fire Campaign and other Red Cross preparedness programs. To top it off, Julie is a member of the Disaster Action Team which responds to disasters in the service area. She accomplishes all of her duties with a positive and helpful attitude.
Other volunteers honored:
Rising Star Volunteer Award
Michaelangelo Aranda
Board Member Recognition Award
Linda Ash-Jackson
Business Operations Volunteer Award
James Gardner
Communications Volunteer Award
Cass Bonfiglio
Development Volunteer Award
Neil Babu
Disaster Preparedness Volunteer Award
Elizabeth Morse
Disaster Response Volunteer Award
Jocelyn Seeman
Outstanding Red Cross Club Member of the Year Award
Adithya Ayanam
Volunteer Services Volunteer Award
Randa Loehrer
About the Northern Nevada Chapter
The American Red Cross of Northern Nevada serves 13 counties and over 87,000 square miles. Volunteers in the Northern Nevada Chapter respond to disasters both locally and nationwide, in addition to providing training on CPR and community preparedness. The chapter has served northern Nevada for more than 100 years. Follow us on social media; FB | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram