Red Cross intern and DAT volunteer Olivia Haunso stands in the responder area at the Greater New York headquarters in midtown Manhattan after returning from a home fire call. Photo by: Isabella Alemany / American Red Cross
by Isabella Alemany
Olivia Haunso first fell in love with volunteering on a month-long trip to a Tibetan refugee camp in Nepal.
“I helped them build a wall to prevent flooding in the camp,” recounted Olivia. “I taught English at the schools and painted the houses in the village. I talked to a lot of refugees. It was really nice.”
Since that trip, Olivia has dedicated herself to putting a smile on people’s faces.
“I love to help people. It’s the biggest fulfillment to see a smile on somebody else’s face.”
Now, she recently finished a summer internship and has become a Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer with the Red Cross. As part of her internship, she helped create a disaster care exercise to build connection between New York University (NYU) students and Red Cross staff members and — as a DAT volunteer — also helps people begin the recovery process after local disasters.
"Honestly, I love it so much,” said Olivia. “People sit behind desks a lot but to actually apply it and get that face to face connection in the field is real. It’s real life, not a joke. You’re actually helping. A lot of people forget the value of that.”
Olivia is pursuing her Master of Science in Global Security Conflict and Cyber Crime at the NYU School of Professional Studies.
“It’s basically being a liaison between policy makers and people with a technological background,” described Olivia.
When she’s not working, volunteering or studying, Olivia loves to play tennis and spend time with her family. Half Dutch and half Danish, born in Belgium and raised in Switzerland before now living in New York City during school, Olivia says that she is from all over the place.
“I joined the Red Cross because I saw the opportunity, especially as a DAT Responder, to be there immediately for people,” said Olivia. “The Red Cross is so flexible, there is so much you can do. Once you start, it’s hard to stop.”
Put on a red jacket and join Olivia as a Red Cross Volunteer. Visit www.redcross.org/volunteer to find out how you can support your community.
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