Michael Zukunft has been involved with the Indiana Region Red Cross since 1989, and estimates he devotes more than 1,200 hours every year to lending a hand. His journey with the Red Cross began at his former job when he stepped up during an emergency.
“I was working in a factory and there was somebody who needed CPR. I started compressions and was only one of two people in the building who knew it,” said Michael. “After that, an instructor came out and taught several other factory members CPR and First Aid.”
His willingness to help others did not stop there. Upon learning more about the Red Cross, he joined the Disaster Action Team to help those impacted by home fires. Later, he was inspired to become a Chapter staff member, working at a local and national level for several years.
Michael recalls his deployment to aid those impacted by Hurricane Andrew in Miami in 1992 as a crucial turning point in his journey. By seeing the impact of his work firsthand, he felt a sense of clarity and a new understanding of the Red Cross mission. It was Michael’s first deployment, and he remembers helping a daughter with her parents’ needs. After the hurricane, the parents lived with their daughter for several weeks, adding stress to a difficult situation. With support from the Red Cross, new housing was found for the parents.
“The next day when the daughter and mother returned to finish the casework, you could just tell the daughter was a totally different person. She was so relieved, and you could see that made a big difference for her and her family,” said Michael.
Michael has remained an active volunteer and currently serves as Deputy Coordinator for the national staff lodging team. When he’s not recruiting disaster responders, teaching disaster-based classes or activating mission cards, he rolls up his sleeve to donate blood. He recently attended the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Blood Drive in May. Here, he emphasized the importance of donating to help those in need of blood products, from red blood cells to plasma. Blood cannot be manufactured and can only be made available through the kindness of donors like Michael.
From donations to deployment, we’re thankful for all Michael does to change lives. When asked why he volunteers with the Red Cross, he said, “This is a way to fulfill that need to help others.”
If you’re interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer, please visit RedCross.org/Volunteer to learn more.
Written by Communications Intern Mallory Kempf.