Hurricane Charley Ravaged Florida That's When I Put My Red Cross Volunteer Skills To The Test

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Red Cross for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

At some point or another, most of you have heard of the American Red Cross. If you haven’t, then let me be the first to share that the mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Now you can have the opportunity to be a part of Giving Day and help families in their darkest hours.

Red Cross Giving Day — August 29, 2017. La Grange, Texas. Red Cross volunteer assess flood damage in La Grange, Texas. Photo by Chuck Haupt for the American Red Cross

My Work with the American Red Cross

I was honored to sign up as a volunteer for the ARC back in college. But it wasn’t until August of 2004 when it all made sense to me. That’s when Hurricane Charley ravaged my home state of Florida.

I was part of the mass care team in Port Charlotte where the devastation was indescribable. Light posts down, billboard signs missing and bent in half like toothpicks. I remember an entire hotel was torn in half. I could see the floors like a Barbie Doll playhouse. Seeing that goes through you. It chills you to the bone because you realize just how small you are in this world. And no matter how in control of your life you are, you can never prepare for a total loss.