A Red Cross youth volunteer in action.

The Ohio State University experience often centers around challenging academic programs, an enjoyable and satisfying social life, and famous sports teams. Yet students learn critical skills and values outside of the classroom, and are not defined solely by academic success. Ohio State hopes to play a role in shaping responsible, productive citizens who contribute to their communities. One of the very important ways in which a student can give back to the community is through volunteer opportunities.

Many students care about others and the world in which they live. Becoming involved in charitable organizations gives students the opportunity to make a difference. Volunteers work to make the community a better place to live for everyone. There are many benefits in becoming a community volunteer, such as meeting others who share the same interests, getting to know the larger Columbus community, and helping others who need it. This article focuses on one volunteer opportunity with the American Red Cross.

The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that has existed for 125 years. Its mission is to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and other emergencies. The Red Cross is built on the principal of neutrality and provides services to all who need them. The Red Cross does not ask people’s ethnic background or take into account the immigration status of someone in need.

The American Red Cross of Greater Columbus (ARCGC) is the local Red Cross organization. ARCGC has over 700 volunteers, some of whom are university students. Locally, the ARCGC focuses on providing disaster relief, emergency communications, health and safety training (including CPR and first aid training), blood donor recruitment, international disaster relief, and senior citizen transportation.

The Red Cross provides volunteers with unique opportunities to use their talents and experience to help people of all cultures and backgrounds. The ARCGC relies on bilingual volunteers to provide comfort and compassion to non-English speakers impacted by disasters. Bilingual volunteers also help spread the word that all communities can turn to the Red Cross for help. This outreach to communities is a very important part of the Red Cross’s charge to provide education to prevent disasters before they happen.

The ARCGC would welcome you as a volunteer. It is a great opportunity for students to get involved with programs that interest them. The programs offered at the ARCGC get volunteers out into the community, and volunteers find activities enjoyable and rewarding. Many programs are non-traditional, such as the Parade Team (which marches during the summertime at various parades and events) and the Puppeteer Program (which teaches children how to escape from a burning home). These are just two examples of programs that use creativity and entertainment to reach out to the community. There is a special place for you and your skills at the ARCGC. For more information about volunteer opportunities with the American Red Cross, visit http://columbus.redcross.org.

Volunteer work provides a student with the opportunity to grow as a person, develop leadership skills, and make a contribution to the community. There are countless ways to get involved. FirstLink (http://www.firstlink.org) is a comprehensive community resource that provides information about all the charitable and community groups in the central Ohio area. It is a helpful resource to find a volunteer opportunity that fits your interests and passions. Take the time to explore opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives, including your own.