Armed conflict, international disasters and migration leave millions of people around the globe in urgent need of humanitarian assistance every year. As the world’s largest humanitarian network, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams help reconnect families separated by international crises.
Story told by Mandy McMahon
Armed conflict, international disasters, and migration leave millions of people around the globe in urgent need of humanitarian assistance every year. As the world’s largest humanitarian network, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams help reconnect families separated by international crises.
Two Upstate volunteers had the opportunity to deliver a message of hope to a Greenville family from a loved one living overseas whom they’d lost contact with due to war.
“The parents smiled when they saw the Red Cross, because we were trusted,” said Julienne Correa, a Red Cross volunteer with the Upstate chapter who delivered a letter through the Restoring Family Links program. “We explained that we didn't have much information, but that this person was trying to reach them, and they had a choice whether to answer back or not. The father teared up about what was happening. You could tell that he was grateful; we were helping a family that had gone through a lot.”
The American Red Cross helps reconnect loved ones when the person making the inquiry is able to provide essential information on the sought-after family members, in this case, a father trying to reconnect with his son.
“For this case in South Carolina, the only thing we had was an address. That's why I sought help from the local chapter for someone who could visit the address and deliver a letter,” said Sylvia Zhang, a Red Cross volunteer based in Raleigh, NC, who is a case worker for Red Cross International Services. “If they called me after receiving the letter, I could then give them more information and make the full connection, which they did for this case.”
To begin the process of reconnecting families, the Red Cross caseworker will gather available information, and then the American Red Cross will work with its international Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to locate the sought-after person.
“It takes a lot of hands to have created that moment of reunification. It's us, it's the volunteer in North Carolina, it’s the national Red Cross, and it’s the Red Cross or Red Crescent society where the other person lives. It's a whole chain of people to create that connection for a family, ravaged by war,” said Julienne. “As a volunteer, you're just part of a whole network of great people trying to alleviate human suffering, and that's the power of the Red Cross—that chain of people. I’m grateful to have had that opportunity.”
Each year, the American Red Cross helps reconnect hundreds of families separated by war, disaster, or migration around the world.
“It was incredible; it feels like we're doing very small things, but you could see an actual impact for the individuals. They are grateful. I think they want to maintain contact with their relatives, for sure,” said Sylvia. “Hopefully, they’ll get to reconnect. I'm just glad to kind of bridge the connection. I'm glad it worked out in the end.”
Learn more about Restoring Family Links and how you can be involved with this work at redcross.org/reconnectingfamilies
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