We Salute: Volunteer Claire Finkel

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. In celebration of our wonderful and generous volunteers, we’ll be featuring a cross-section of the hundreds of volunteers who contribute time to the SW Washington American Red Cross.

Today’s story is about Claire Finkel, who volunteers at the Clark County Blood Donor Center in Vancouver.

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Claire Finkel has served as a volunteer for the Southwest Washington American Red Cross for 38 years. However, her involvement with the Red Cross goes further back than that. As a Gresham High School student, Claire joined the Junior Red Cross and participated in fundraising efforts for members of the United States Armed Forces. She also became a blood donor.

Later, after marriage and children, Claire was involved in several volunteer activities:  Cub Scout Den Mother, Little League, and Hazel Dell Elementary School PTA and Health-Room Mother. She credits Lois Fletcher, Hazel Dell Elementary School Secretary, who later served as Red Cross Chapter Secretary, as instrumental in facilitating Claire’s becoming a Red Cross volunteer.  

Initially, Claire’s assignment was to maintain donor records. When Red Cross personnel learned she had strong secretarial skills, she was asked to take dictation for a letter to the chairman of the Red Cross Board. Claire found it quite amusing that the letter was going to her boss, John Priel, who led Equitable Savings and Loan (Claire’s employer) and who also served as chairman of the Southwest Washington Red Cross Board.

During her career as a Red Cross volunteer, Claire served four terms (a total of 12 years) as a SWWARC board member. She also spent 20 years as a Volunteer Coordinator and was responsible for scheduling other volunteers to cover blood drives in Clark County.

It was the volunteer coordinator position that presented Claire with both her greatest challenges and greatest satisfaction.

When she began in 1983, blood services had grown rapidly, but the pool of available volunteers hadn’t kept pace with the increase in blood drives. Finding people to fill the positions became somewhat challenging and time consuming since all contact was done by phone. Claire derives a great deal of satisfaction from the growth of the blood donor program and the building of the new Clark County Blood Donor Center during her tenure with SWWARC.

Claire also knows the importance of maintaining an adequate blood supply, since her sister’s life was threatened by a worsening medical condition when she was a young mother with a baby and she needed blood.

Claire’s sister had to have a colostomy, and required many units of blood during surgery and stay in the hospital. Claire said that her sister weighed only 70 pounds when she was released from the hospital. However, today that same sister is a grandmother with five grandchildren.

Claire said that wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of local blood donors.

Jim Boline
SW Washington Red Cross Media Team

Tea Time Travel

The SW Washington Region Red Cross Youth Council recently annouced the date and place for its annual tea that has been themed “Tea Time Travel.”

The Tea is scheduled for May 20 at the Water Resouce Center in Vancouver. There are two seatings – the first at 11am and the second at 1:30pm. The cost to attend is $15 per person which includes food, tea and a historical fashion show featuring Red Cross uniforms of the past.

Tickets must be purchased by May 16 and are available at the Red Cross offices or from any Youth Council member. The Youth Council is responsible for all the planning and preparations that go into the annual event.

A silent auction will also be held. Proceeds from the annual tea and silent auction go to support our active military and veterans;  clients who recovering from single-family fires; as well as larger community disasters, and volunteer training.

For more information, contact Trish Osilla at 360-693-5821, ext. 107, or stop by the Red Cross offices at 3114 East Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver.

We Salute: Volunteer Brandon Sherrell

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. In celebration of our wonderful and generous volunteers, we’ll be featuring a cross-section of the hundreds of volunteers who contribute time to the SW Washington American Red Cross.

Today, we salute Brandon Sherrell, who is a disaster services volunteer with the SW Washington Region. Brandon has been a Red Cross volunteer for just over one year.

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Red Cross: What made you decide to volunteer with Red Cross? Had you looked at volunteering with other agencies, and if so, what made you decide on the Red Cross?
 
Brandon: I decided to volunteer with the Red Cross because I am studying Emergency Management. I wanted to get real life training and experience with dealing with emergency situations. I decided on the Red Cross because they have been around for so long. They have a proven track record of helping people and I enjoy working with people from all walks of life with one goal in mind. That goal is helping people when they need it most. 

Red Cross: What has been your biggest challenge in working with the Red Cross, and what within your volunteer work with the Red Cross gives you the greatest satisfaction?

Brandon: The biggest challenge I face with the Red Cross is my work schedule. It is very difficult to work night shift, go to school and have a family life, all while being on call and coming in to the office on  a regular basis.

I love to come to a place where everyone believes in the Red Cross mission and enjoys working with people in a way that makes everyone feel comfortable. 

 

It is refreshing to see people come together to make a positive difference in peoples lives when their world is turned upside down. It is nice to know that people care about one another and I truly am blessed to have made many friends within the SWWARC family.

We Salute: Volunteer Colten Fox

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. In celebration of our wonderful and generous volunteers, we’ll be featuring a cross-section of the hundreds of volunteers who contribute time to the SW Washington American Red Cross.

Today’s interview features Colten Fox. Colten is a volunteer with the SW Washington American Red Cross, and is a member of the Leadership Development Council. He is a senior at LaCenter High School.

Red Cross: What made you decide to volunteer with Red Cross? Did you look at volunteering with other agencies, and if so, what made you decide on the Red Cross?

Colten: I joined the Red Cross in April 2010 after attending the February Leadership Development Conference. I was on my high school ASB at the time and another officer was a then member of Red Cross. She brought to just one meeting and I was hooked. This April marks two years on the council for me. 

Red Cross: What has been your biggest challenge in working with the Red Cross, and what within your volunteer work with the Red Cross gives you the greatest satisfaction?

Colten: The hardest thing I have faced on Red Cross was the initial few months on the council. I am from La Center, the smallest school on the council and one that no one had heard of. It took a while to really take the initiative to get to know others on the council and become a functioning part of the team.

I received the greatest satisfaction when we handed out cookies to the POW division of the Vancouver Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospital. Men shook my hand with tears and gave me the most tremendous thank you for something as simple as a cookie. I felt like all the work we have done as a council, no matter how small, really had been making a difference in the community around us; I just had not realized it before. 

Red Cross: Do you have a favorite Red Cross story to share?

Colten: To pick one favorite memory is quite difficult, as I have really come to enjoy my time on the council. I really cannot chose between three. 

The first was last years Tea, the seniors were going to leave soon and everyone hung out after the event dancing and laughing together, and talking about memories of the year. 

Second is the cookies; the impact we made in the lives of a couple dozen soldiers combined with the hours we all spent together made it one of the most memorable experiences I take from high school. 

The most recent memory would be this year’s LDC. As a senior, it was really important to host something people would not forget, and something we were proud of. We not only accomplished that but we trained 60 kids in CPR/First Aid, got the Mayor to stop by, and we made some great videos of youth just being youth. To me, it felt like a great addition to the conclusion of my final months on the council.

 

Jason Liu
SW Washington Red Cross Media Team

We Salute: Volunteer Jan Riske

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. In celebration of our wonderful and generous volunteers, we’ll be featuring a cross-section of the hundreds of volunteers who contribute time to the SW Washington American Red Cross.

Today’s interview features Jan Riske, who volunteers at the Clark County Blood Donor Center in Vancouver.

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Red Cross: Jan, what made you decide to volunteer with Red Cross? Had you looked at volunteering with other agencies, and if so, what made you decide on the Red Cross?

Jan: I had looked at other organizations and got applications from them, but I always kept coming back to volunteering at Red Cross. It is a world-wide organization and respected by all for what they do. I had always given blood and decided that was where my heart to serve was, so I filled out out the application and my journey with the Red Cross began.

Red Cross: What has been your biggest challenge in working with the Red Cross, and what within your volunteer work with the Red Cross gives you the greatest satisfaction?

Jan: My biggest challenge in working with the Red Cross, has been to hold myself back from over-volunteering, and leaving space open for others to volunteer and experience the joy of serving others. 

I enjoy interacting with donors who come in to donate their blood at the Vancouver Fixed Site - to encourage them, have a ready smile, to try and answer any questions they might have, and to thank them for donating their life-saving blood. Working at the Red Cross gives me a sense of self-worth and makes me happy to give back to the community by volunteering my time with this great organization.

Red Cross: Do you have a favorite Red Cross story to share?

Jan: I have many wonderful things I could share that would fill a book. But I want to share that the staff and other volunteers at the Fixed Site have become very dear to me. 

In January 2010, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and the fight-for-my-life was on, I was afraid that I would have to give up volunteering. 

The other volunteers, volunteer coordinators, and the Red Cross staff came to my rescue by keeping me on as a volunteer. 

During a shift, if I didn’t feel 100% or was discouraged, they came alongside, encouraging me and giving much-needed hugs and good wishes. 

Through the next year and a half of chemo, surgery and radiation, I was able to continue to volunteer my double shifts on Monday and Wednesday. The Fixed Site has become my home away from home, and the staff and volunteers have become like a second family. 

Thank you to the Red Cross for the great opportunity.

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And our thanks to you, Jan, for your dedication and service to the SW Washington American Red Cross. It’s volunteers like you who make the American Red Cross a wonderful organization!

Susan Schneiderman
SW Washington Red Cross Media Team