The Red Cross workforce—employees and volunteers
included—is made up of humanitarians, people who want to improve the lives of
others. Over the past weekend, I saw an outpouring of Humanitarianism
highlighted by Friday’s tragic school shooting in Connecticut. While some
people don’t show it as often as others, it was a reminder that, overall, most
people want to do good and help others.
In just the past month, the Louisville Area Chapter has
had the pleasure of working with thousands of these “everyday” humanitarians. Schools,
businesses, and other community organizations in Kentucky and Southern Indiana
helped sign 42,000 cards for the 2013 Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaigns. The cards
included thank you’s, well wishes, and even plain hellos to let military
members, their families and veterans know someone was thinking of them during
the holidays.
On December 13th, 14 students graduated from the Red
Cross Nurse Aide Training (NAT) program. A few of them shared stories on why
they chose to pursue a nursing career. NAT student Cindy King said that while
the workdays might be long, she believes being a nurse is the most rewarding
job a person can have. “During my training, I’ve seen that just a smile, a
drink, or the smallest conversation will brighten someone’s day,” Cindy said
during the graduation ceremony.
On the 17th, we hosted our annual Holiday Party for kids affected by home fires. The kids had a blast sitting on Santa’s
lap, getting their faces painted and participating in fun arts and crafts. Our
partners with the Louisville Firefighters Union Local 345 stood by quietly,
observing the children react to their gifts. While shopping for toys earlier
this month, the cost surpassed the allocated budget. Union members pooled money
out of their own pockets to help cover the excess.
These acts of kindness give me that warm, fuzzy feeling
even when I’m having a bah humbug kind of day. I hope the stories and photos help
brighten your day, too.
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