Volunteer

“I showed up at the event, 30 minutes early (as the video explained), and it turned out that I was the only volunteer ambassador there – meaning I was checking everyone in. I was very nervous since I thought I would get to “shadow” someone. Instead, it was all me – the site manager showed me how to check donors in, and the first donors, all veteran blood donors, also helped me (I think they loved being the experts to guide the newbie). And for the rest of the day, that’s what I did: donors showed their ID, I scanned it with a scanner, I checked off their name, I gave them a nametag, they had a seat and then got called up for the donation. It was easy, it was interesting (nice to chat with people, interesting to watch how they go through the different stations of donating), and there was about 30 minutes when no one was scheduled and I was able to eat the lunch I brought.”

“Volunteering for the first time can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, even when done virtually. Stepping into an unfamiliar experience, unsure of what to expect but eager to make a difference, was exactly how I felt when signing up with Soldiers’ Angels. [...] With limited funds but plenty of time, I decided to start with a letter-writing opportunity. My task was simple, write a letter of encouragement to deployed Service Members. But as I started writing I realized the deeper significance of what I was doing. Each word I wrote represented a piece of home, bringing a small comfort to someone serving far away.”