When Becky Wallner and her husband retired and moved to Tennessee from North Carolina during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, she never once imagined she would eventually start volunteering with the American Red Cross.
“I’ve never done anything like that before in my life,” Becky said about her experiences prior to joining the Red Cross. According to Becky, her career was spent in the corporate offices of car dealerships, which is a far cry from the work she does in communities now.
Two years ago, however, her husband started volunteering and he asked her to join as well, knowing she would enjoy it. Finally, after three months of hesitation, Becky says she decided to go with him to volunteer one day and she then instantly became hooked.
“When you’re a Red Cross volunteer, you’re there because you want to be there, and you want to help other people,” Becky said about the value of volunteering.
In the two years since, she has fulfilled numerous roles like casework, intake, office administration and even deployments for disaster relief operations in Florida and western Tennessee. However, it was only recently that she started volunteering in the role of the Shelter Resident Transition Service Associate.
As a Shelter Resident Transition Service Associate, Becky’s responsibility is to assist shelter residents as they transition out of shelters and into more permanent housing. For some, that means moving back into their home if the structure is fit for living, but for others that is not always the case.
One individual she and other volunteers worked with had been homeless before. That individual had lost his tent prior to staying in an American Red Cross shelter. However, thanks to the Red Cross and its partner organizations, when he left, he was supplied with a new tent rather than making accommodations he would ultimately be unable to afford. This displayed the importance of meeting residents where they are and equipping them with a means of safe living after a temporary stay in a shelter.
Becky encourages all potential volunteers to try their hand at the Shelter Resident Transition Service Associate role. Becky states, “If you’re interested, do it. You don’t ever have to stay in it if you don’t like it, but it’s going to open your world to so many other things.”
To find a volunteer opportunity near you, visit redcross.org/volunteer.
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