by Natalie Bradford (and Richard Moreno)
Like many people, when I first thought about volunteering it seemed impossible to fit in my busy schedule. My husband had been a Red Cross volunteer since 1996 as a CPR and first aid instructor and a disaster volunteer. Although I accompanied him to classes and occasionally on disaster calls, we had young children and were starting our own business. Eventually, even he had to curtail his volunteer activities.
By 2007, our children were older and our business was established and the timing was right to come back to the Red Cross. Having been instructors in our professional lives (Richard in law enforcement and me at a vocational school), we started by volunteering to teach first aid and CPR courses. We continue to teach these classes, as well as CPR for the Professional Rescuer and disaster training classes at the West Valley and East Valley districts.
As part of our commitment, we have taken all the Red Cross disaster training courses available to us so we can help at local and national disasters. During the recent brush fires, we assisted at Red Cross shelters, but more often, we help at smaller disasters, such as apartment fires. We also participate on the newly established committees open to all volunteers, and Richard is the chair of the Disaster Action Team Committee. Since we speak Spanish, we are sometimes called on to translate for Spanish-speaking clients.
We are committed to our involvement with the Red Cross because we believe in its mission and have compassion for other people. We volunteer for all the people who expect the American Red Cross assistance in their time of need. And you never really know when it might be you who needs that assistance.
We hope that our example of helping others is one that our children will continue and pass to future generations. And it looks like it will. Our daughter, now 18, is a Red Cross volunteer, and our son, 13, is soon to be a Red Cross youth volunteer. Volunteering has become an opportunity for us to be together as a family doing what we honestly love to do.
