Barbara Martin of Oklahoma City has been a devoted volunteer for the American Red Cross for many years. Her journey with the Red Cross started in 1999 when a tornado struck the town of Moore, Oklahoma. She served the community during that time by handing out food and clothing vouchers to people in need. Barbara started volunteering again in 2013 when a larger tornado hit the town of Moore. It was during this time that she became an ambassador in a multi-agency resource center.

Volunteering can be a very rewarding job. Barbara explains that some of her best memories in volunteering involve interactions with those affected by a disaster. While responding to a house fire in the middle of the night, the homeowner, a six-foot two retired Marine, came up and hugged Barbara and cried on her shoulder. In another memory while responding to a home damaged by flooding, the couple living there gave Barbara a vintage Red Cross pin that had washed up at their house from the flooding. They told her that they believed it was a sign and Barbara still has that pin today. Barbara explains that what keeps her motivated to volunteer is the glimmer of hope that people get in their eyes when they receive help.

Barbara Martin recommends volunteering for the American Red Cross because “they have something for everyone.” She has always been an introvert and could have never imagined herself getting up in front of a group of people. After volunteering with the Red Cross, she has become so much more comfortable and is now an instructor. She is an advanced instructor for disaster courses and can confidently get up in front of a class and share her knowledge about the American Red Cross and their mission.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.