People are often shocked to learn that a full 96 percent of the national American Red Cross workforce is made up of volunteers.  Your neighbors volunteer through the Western Colorado Chapter, all of them working to make each of us safer. No matter what their skill, there is a place for anyone who wants to volunteer and become part of that effort: whether it’s making copies, answering the phone, helping put together a disaster plan, teaching a baby sitting class or setting up the manikins for CPR training.  No matter what any of us do to contribute, all of us want to be great and it’s our job at the Red Cross here on the western slope to support their efforts in a meaningful way to our organization and our community.  How do we do that? By making sure people who want to volunteer are welcome, have options and we take the time to find them their place, let them do it and then reward their efforts.

Our volunteers respond to local disasters, such as house fires, wildfires, Interstate closings, winter storms; many volunteer to go across the state or across the nation if needed.  They teach people lifesaving skills such as water safety, first aid and CPR, babysitting, disaster preparedness.  They help local military families exchange emergency messages with their loved one and serve on our local board.  They help make sure that blood is there when it is needed by organizing blood drives, recruiting donors, and more. Volunteers help with fundraising, community preparedness presentations and participate in local community events.

Matching skills and serving the organization as a volunteer is challenging.  However, it is hard to imagine what kind of community we would have without our volunteers and the services they provide