By William H. Jones Jr.

Joanna Hu, originally from San Jose, California, has long been driven by a desire to serve. Her first experience with the American Red Cross was more than 10 years ago, when she organized a blood drive at Evergreen Valley High School, where she was a member of their Red Cross Club.

“I organized several blood drives in high school, and my peers loved it because they got to get out of class,” joked Joanna.

Joanna was also a member of the Youth Executive Board at the Silicon Valley Red Cross Chapter for four years, eventually serving as co-chair, where she helped drive youth fundraising, training, and community-building initiatives.

"Volunteering gave me something meaningful to focus on outside of class,” she said. “It broadened my perspective on what it truly means to contribute to your community and helped me realize that personal growth and impact extend beyond academics."

Joanna’s work at the Red Cross also extends to education. As an intern, she translated materials from English to Mandarin and led disaster safety education courses at retirement homes. She is passionate about bridging gaps between diverse populations, ensuring that critical information reaches more communities.

After graduating from high school, Joanna moved to Philadelphia to attend college. In college, she served on the National Youth Council, a proud moment that gave her a broader perspective on how the Red Cross operates by connecting chapters across the country. Her work involved crafting case studies of successful events in one region and sharing them with other regions, bringing different chapters together and helping spread best practices throughout the nation.

After graduating from college in 2021 and starting her career in the private sector, Joanna began volunteering as the Youth Engagement Lead in the Greater New York region, supporting youth and internship programs.

“Because I grew up in the Red Cross, I learned a lot personally and professionally from my experience as a youth volunteer,” said Joanna. “Coming back to the Red Cross and working with other youth volunteers and interns was a really good way for me to do something good and impactful [as an adult], especially since it’s close to my own experiences as a youth volunteer.”

Joanna also offered words of advice to young people thinking about getting more involved with volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross.

“I've always found that organizations like the Red Cross, which embrace volunteers, want to bring you in and give you ownership and power to affect change. It just takes the first step of getting plugged in and connecting with a group, and then everything else from there will come naturally.”

Put on a red vest, like Joanna, and join us. Visit www.redcross.org/volunteer to find out how you can support your community.