Meet Chuck Dunlap, a Red Cross volunteer and board member for the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the Indiana Region. Chuck became a volunteer in September 2022 and joined the board in December 2023. He also serves as a volunteer for the Disaster Action Team and Service to the Armed Forces and International Services.
How did you get involved with the Red Cross?
I saw a call out for volunteers in September 2022 on WTHR-TV. The ability to directly serve people in need really interested me, since much of the work that I do in my day job at the Indiana Bar Foundation is not very “hands on” and I don’t often have the opportunity to provide direct services to people.
What led you to become a Greater Indianapolis board member?
In my professional life, I lead a nonprofit organization, and I have also served on many nonprofit boards. I really enjoy being able to help support the important work of the organization from a strategic board level as well. There are so many ways to connect a nonprofit organization like the Red Cross with other individuals and organizations that I may know who may be interested in the Red Cross mission. I love using these relationships to build additional resources and relationships. I also love being a cheerleader and connector for organizations like the Red Cross that serve as a critical resource and force for good in our communities.
How are you involved with the Disaster Action Team as a volunteer?
My first volunteer position was as a Disaster Action Team (DAT) Service Associate, and I now serve as a DAT Supervisor. I really enjoy my DAT volunteer opportunities since I can schedule my volunteer shifts to fit my schedule. This role is one of the most community-facing volunteer opportunities, and the work is extremely meaningful to people who are experiencing some of the most challenging events in their life.
I have responded to several home fires where the clients have lost their home and virtually every possession they owned. There have also been several instances, sadly, where people have lost a loved one or a family pet. Being able to show up in that time of profound crisis to help, be a shoulder to cry on, and demonstrate humanity, which is at the core of the Red Cross mission, is a privilege for me as a volunteer. The opportunity to provide devastated clients with hope for the future drives me to keep doing as much as I can to support the mission of the Red Cross.
How do you support Service to the Armed Forces as a volunteer?
When I first joined the Red Cross, I really didn’t know much about the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) and International Services. As I learned more about this aspect of the mission, it really resonated with me. While I have never served in the armed forces, I have great respect for those who do serve and have served, and I have always been interested in ways I may be able to help support the armed forces. The SAF program has been the perfect match for me. My background as a lawyer and my past participation as an official observer to the United States Department of Defense’s Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for over a decade have also given me a unique perspective on international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue to expand my interest as a volunteer Red Cross instructor in international humanitarian law. It is a tremendous opportunity to do extremely meaningful work to support the humanitarian mission of the Red Cross and to help fulfill the United States’ obligation under the Geneva Convention to educate people about the importance of IHL and the role of the armed forces.
What is one of your favorite Red Cross moments?
I have several favorite Red Cross moments, and it’s difficult to choose just one, but one of my DAT calls comes to mind.
My partner and I were responding to a single-family house fire, where the house was destroyed, along with almost all the family’s possessions. Sadly, several of the family’s pets died as well. When we arrived on the scene, the family was trying to come to grips with the scope of their loss, while being grateful that none of the family members were injured.
As I stood outside of the destroyed home with the smell of smoke still heavy in the air, through tears the client said to us, “Thank you.” While I’m sure she was thankful for the blankets, comfort care kits, health and spiritual counseling, and the financial resources we were able to provide, the thing that resonated with her the most was that two volunteers who had no connection to her and her family showed up in the middle of the night to be with her and help her family get through their most dire moment. She kept marveling at the idea that strangers would volunteer to do this for her family. To me, that is the epitome of the Red Cross and the ability for us to be an “everyday humanitarian.”
Why would you encourage others to get involved with the Red Cross?
My volunteer work with the Red Cross has been by far the most meaningful and fulfilling. I would urge anyone who has any interest in being able to do important consequential things in the service of your fellow human beings to volunteer for the Red Cross.
The Red Cross provides a unique opportunity for a volunteer to be able to be an “everyday humanitarian” and see the direct impact of your service. I encourage anyone to take the first step to sign up as a volunteer and explore the almost limitless ways you can support the mission. 90% of the Red Cross workforce are volunteers, so leaders know how to manage volunteers and make your experience rewarding and satisfying. Even if you have limited time to volunteer, or some other limitations, there is a place for you at the Red Cross!
Thanks for sharing your experience as a Red Cross volunteer and board member, Chuck! We appreciate all that you do to support our lifesaving mission.