Written by Isabella Fiello, Red Cross Volunteer

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and our volunteers fuel our mission. One of our fastest growing generations are Gen Z and Maya Iyer, pictured above, is a perfect example of our amazing youth volunteers.

Maya has truly defined and transcended answering the call of community. She first encountered the Red Cross at the young age of thirteen, when she personally learned everything we stand for, not just to the community, but to each individual saved by the hard-working volunteers’ donations and actions. She immediately felt the call to give back to this organization which does so much for others, and, only a year later, she got her chance.

In her freshman year of high school, she joined the Red Cross club and never slowed down! She was elected to her Red Cross Chapter’s officer team, and then was appointed to the Biomedical Committee on the Southwest Washington Red Cross Youth Council. After a year of serving as a council member, she applied for an executive leadership position on the council and was elected Vice President.

When asked for her favorite moment in her work so far, she recounts a blood drive where she volunteered. There, she met a woman with an impactful story. When she was giving birth, she was hemorrhaging and began to bleed badly. If it had not been for the Red Cross’s blood, she wouldn’t have survived, and her child would have been left motherless. In this moment, Maya says, she saw the real connection the work the Red Cross has to every person they help – and everyone they will.

To future and youth volunteers, Maya says, “Don’t be afraid to meet people. Everyone at the Red Cross has an interesting story for how they connected in the beginning; the best stories are all around you!” Join Maya and other volunteers from all generations! Visit RedCross.Org/Volunteer to start your journey today.