March Volunteer Spotlight: Ina Bostick

The Dallas Red Cross Chapter honors volunteers during Red Cross Month who are a vital part of the North Texas community.
March 5, 2009

When a "Call for Help" is issued, Ina Bostick is one of many American Red Cross volunteers prepared to respond to the disaster.


Since responding to a "Call for Help" on the Channel 8 news during the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts, Ina has remained an active volunteer. Now as a member of the Dallas West Disaster Action Team (DAT), Ina is one of the first volunteers to arrive to a local disaster prepared to offer immediate comfort and hope to the victims.


To ensure she provides the best service during a disaster, Ina has completed several training classes. Ina finds the classes essential to understanding how to perform during a disaster; however, she notes that on-the-job training is critical. "I’ve learned more actually doing it. The on-the-job training has allowed me to see other experienced people do the job and how they handle situations because people handle situations differently," said Ina.


Ina found herself confronted with a particularly challenging situation during one of her early responses to a house fire. One of the victims was a man who suffered from third-degree burns. Ina was able to convince him to return to the hospital for needed surgery because of the burns. "That type of injury is very painful because they have to clean the wound thoroughly. He said that he could not handle the pain. I explained his options to him and I feel like I made a difference because I convinced him to go back to the hospital to get the treatment he needed," said Ina.


Describing her experiences as "life changing," Ina believes that she has changed because of her volunteer service to the Red Cross. "I was a totally different person before I started volunteering here and I am just a lot happier with what I do," said Ina.

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