Calling for Volunteers! Red Cross Launches Operation Outreach

The American Red Cross of Central Texas is proud to announce the launch of Operation Outreach, in partnership with Serve Austin.

Operation Outreach is one of Serve Austin’s five new initiatives, designed to  meet an urgent community need in a way it hasn't been before. Women military veterans often have a difficult time reintegrating into civil society upon their return from service. Not only must they deal with the challenges that all veterans face, but also additional stresses and hardships that their male counterparts do not. Government studies have shown that female service members have a three times higher rate of failed marriages than male members, they are much more likely than male members to be single parents, and they are four times more likely than non-veteran women to be homeless.

These statistics, coupled with the government estimate that 1 in 3 returning service women have been sexually violated, showcases the pressing need to provide these women with the support and resources to help ease the transition and prevent such statistics from becoming their reality. To undertake such a task, Serve Austin has partnered the American Red Cross of Central Texas to recruit 100 volunteers who they themselves are women veterans or family members of such. These volunteers will proactively interact with returning service women, actively seeking them out in our community and helping them gain access to basic needs such as housing, employment, medical care, and family support. They will be empowered to direct veterans toward appropriate resources and help them navigate the often confusing red tape that is sometimes involved with contacting support services. With over thirty governmental agencies and private support organizations on board to help the Red Cross develop its volunteer training curriculum and compile a comprehensive repository of all available services, all that remains to set the plan into action is finding our volunteers! If you are interested in helping these brave women, please register for one of our upcoming training sessions by contacting Customer Service Specialist Stephanie Cosmas at 512-929-1225 or scosmas@centex.redcross.org.  

Military Veteran Support Orientations are currently scheduled:

Tuesday 9/6, 6-7pm & Thursday 9/8, 6-9pm

OR 

Saturday 9/10, 9am – 1pm

Please join us to support our veterans and help our neighbors in need. Your support is vital to the success of this program.