Carlmont’s Red Cross club connects students to the American Red Cross (ARC) and assists members in getting involved through volunteer opportunities.
Junior Zach Bunin heads the Carlmont branch of the club, which follows a curriculum from the Northern California Coastal Region of the American Red Cross to educate students and secure volunteer hours for members. They meet every Wednesday in room E5, and all are welcome to attend to learn more about how they can get involved.
“We follow the mission of the American Red Cross, which is to prevent and alleviate human suffering,” Bunin said. “We do that through helping people who could use help due to whatever situation they’re in.”
This club is unique at Carlmont because it directly partners with the ARC, who participate in many projects to aid people in need.
The organization is a significant force in humanitarian efforts worldwide, with nearly 200,000 branches across the globe. The ARC focuses on five lines of service and dedicates countless hours to education, disaster preparedness, and emergency aid. This group is also committed to increasing youth participation in the volunteer environment.
The ARC offers numerous leadership programs and opportunities for teens across the region. These include involvement in Youth Action Campaigns, the Field Ambassador program, and the Leadership Development Center (LDC) convention. The LDC convention is a four-day camp experience where participants can learn leadership techniques and receive hands-on experience with Red Cross skills.
“The camp was good because you get to spend time with a lot of other people, and there’s a lot of bonding,” said Carlmont junior Zion Bian, who attended the LDC convention during a previous summer.
An accessible option for high school students to get involved with the Red Cross is to join a Red Cross club. These clubs are recognized organizations on school campuses across the country, have access to ARC events, and can take an initiative to help their community.
“The clubs have some leeway to support the Red Cross as long as it’s in scope, like event creation, and do some creative things in order to support the mission,” said Jonathan Bernier, ARC Regional Volunteer Services Officer.
The Red Cross club at Carlmont provides an inviting space where a volunteering-oriented community can get together and learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities or disaster prevention skills. Laughter and chatter can be heard at every meeting, and there are even interactive components where participants can answer questions about emergency preparedness to earn a snack, according to Bunin. Members earn volunteer hours just from attending meetings, and have access to events put on by the ARC through the clubs.
People of all different backgrounds can find a place at the ARC, and even rise to a leadership role because of their passion for the organization’s work. Kenzie Ferguson, a San Francisco resident, is a board member for the Bay Area chapter of the Northern California Coastal Region of the ARC. According to Ferguson, the ARC engages in diverse projects that assist with disaster relief and prevention, including significant fundraising pursuits.
“90% of all money that is raised for the Red Cross goes directly to the mission, while only 10% goes to funding salaries, which is very unique for a nonprofit,” Ferguson said.
The teenage and young adult demographic has always been vital to the Red Cross. Close to 25% of all ARC volunteers are aged 24 or younger, according to the Red Cross, and they make a difference by educating their community, organizing events, attending blood drives, and being an ambassador for the group.
Getting Involved
According to Bernier, the Red Cross has plenty of “youth-friendly” opportunities. These include joining committees such as the Youth Executive Board, working as a blood donor ambassador, or organizing other projects to serve the ARC mission. More ways to volunteer or learn more about the group can be found on the Red Cross website, on social media, or by contacting [email protected].
An exciting time for the organization is fast approaching; November is National Youth Involvement Month, and officers such as Bernier look forward to showcasing notable things volunteers from the Northern California Coastal Region have been doing.
“We have one of the best youth programs in the country, hands down,” Bernier said. “We have a high caliber of youth, and I’m always so excited and inspired to see what our clubs and youth leadership puts out.”
