The Indiana Region of the American Red Cross would not be able to do what it does for the community without our wonderful volunteers. On this #ThankfulTuesday, we are shining the light on Brian Southern, who has been a Red Crosser since 2020. Brian is a Disaster Action Team Member, and a shelter and transportation volunteer.
Brian has previously done work with FEMA, and once he returned to Indiana from the East Coast, he didn’t have time to be as heavily involved as he once was. With the new change of schedule, he decided to make the Red Cross a priority, and reached out to Ashley Hughes of Blood Services and Donor Recruitment.
He has “always appreciated the services of the Red Cross and wanted to be more engaged”, so once he finished his blood drive projects, he was ready to volunteer more, and was connected to former Disaster Program Manager Dominic Poggi.
His favorite aspect of volunteering with the Red Cross’s Disaster Action Team is being able to be face to face with someone who needs help. He’s seen firsthand how large disasters have affected their communities, like the recent Evansville house explosion and Kentucky flooding events, and admires the impact of seeing how the Red Cross pitches in to aid communities in helping each other.
For new and future Red Crossers and volunteers, he recommends learning what your specific areas of interest and passions are, and finding out how it aligns with the Red Cross.
To find a volunteer opportunity near you, visit redcross.org/volunteer or call (317) 886-8508 for more information.