Happy National Volunteer Week!

National Volunteer Week is a special time at the Red Cross. Across the country over 95% of all Red Cross staff members are volunteers. If you are a volunteer, thank you. If you support or work with volunteers, thank you.

In 2009 our Louisville Area Chapter volunteers dedicated over 105,000 hours of service responding to and preparing for disasters, helping military families communicate with loved ones, teaching life-saving health and safety classes, and supporting our blood donation efforts.

Every year the Independent Sector sets a value of a volunteer hour. In 2009, that number was $20.85. So, in 2009, our volunteers donated time worth almost $2.2 million to the Louisville Area Chapter and the communities we serve.

Volunteerism is more than about numbers. It’s about the stories of service that echo throughout Kentuckiana, the United States, and the world. This week, we’ve asked a few volunteers to share their story. Check back here every day to see profiles of some of our amazing volunteers!

Do you want to start your own volunteer story? We have numerous volunteer opportunities available all across Kentuckiana, and offices in Louisville, E-Town, Ft. Knox, Shepherdsville, Shelbyville, Buckner, and Georgetown, IN. In 2009, we had almost 300 new people join our volunteer program, and are ALWAYS looking for more!

If you know someone who is interested in volunteering, have them call (502) 561-3770 or visit our website at http://www.louisville-redcross.org to find the office closest to them.