written and edited by Danielle Bryan
Providing help and hope in times of need is what the American Red Cross has been about since its inception in 1881. This very commitment is what fueled volunteers of the emergency relief organization to pull together as a community and work to aid the thousands of residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Amy Gross had been working full time running a counseling center for Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles when she had received an email from a fellow psychologist indicating that the Red Cross was conducting a fast track training program to get people certified to go into the Gulf States. Amy did not hesitate to respond. “I did it in a heart beat”, she said. “It seemed like the absolute right thing to do. It just suited who I was”.
Amy’s devotion to community service becomes evident from the moment that you meet her. From her first volunteer position as a candy striper, to the various tasks she has performed for a local synagogue, to serving as the chair of the education committee for the Alzheimer’s Association, Amy is passionate about helping people. Contributing sixty hours a month to the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, Amy can be found on any given day using skills gained as a program director at Gateways Hospital to write a manual on what to do from a fundraising stand point in the event of a disaster. Prior to volunteering as an intern for the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles through UCLA’s fundraising certification program, Amy served as the Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Lead for the West Valley district.
Through volunteering, Amy has accomplished many tasks, and realizes that it is the small things that bring help and hope. “There are people who lose everything and they move on with their lives. There are people who lose everything and are devastated and cannot put themselves back together. I like what the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health staff does for people. They not only help them recover during times of disaster, but they help people to look at their current situation and accept reality, which allows them to become hopeful about their future”
Amy was recently hired to work in the Development Department.
Photo: Taken at the West Los Angeles District Office
