Girl Scouts Make Thank You Cards For Our Veterans

Volunteers and various organizations have been taking time to show their appreciation by making thank you cards to the many veterans who have dedicated themselves to keeping us safe. Last Friday, a group of girl scouts were in our office making cards and writing thank you notes for our veterans. This is a great example of how everyone can volunteer and do their part in thanking our veterans for all that they have done.

These cards will be distributed during the Veterans' Day Parade on November 11.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who have helped make this a memoral day for our veterans. 

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.

VETERANS DAY PARADE

As the Communications Coordinator at the American Red Cross of Central Texas, I constantly tell people that we help 5 to 6 military families every day. That your American Red Cross provides emergency communications between service men and women and their families. That we provide financial assistance to military personnel who need to come home for medical or family emergencies. Yesterday, however, I was able to see why what we do is so important. Red Cross volunteers walked and drove our Emergency Response Vehicle in Austin’s annual Veterans Day Parade. I saw dozens of people, many in uniform, lining Congress Avenue cheering and honoring those who have fought or fighting for our country.  It was an honor and privilege for the American Red Cross to be asked to participate in yesterday’s event. A special thanks to Wray Hooper, Barbara, Lewellen, Emergency Services Director Jose Dominguez, Community Resources Director Thad Rosenfeld and Fred and Marcia Marks (who drove our ERV!) for their participation!

AREA STUDENTS HELP HOMELESS VETERANS

Grace Speaks, along with her classmates in the 5th grade leadership program at Riverplace Elementary in Austin worked together to create toiletry packages for homeless veterans.  Distributed through the American Red Cross of Central Texas Totes of Hope program, the packages will help former soldiers by providing nonperishable food, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and other daily necessities.  The students conducted a toiletry drive as part of a community service and leadership exercise designed to improve their local community.

Chief Development Officer Debbie Immel with Grace Speaks of Riverplace Elementary