We Salute Suzette: Red Cross Volunteer and Salute to Senior Service Contestant

by Catherine Carlton, volunteer contributor 

Volunteer Suzette Alexander

With our ongoing disaster relief efforts in West, Boston and the Midwest, it's clearer than ever how important our volunteers are to our work. In fact, volunteers represent more than 90 percent of our work force. We close out National Volunteer Week by profiling one of our terrific East Texas volunteers, Suzette Alexander, of Longview.

Suzette joined the Red Cross volunteer brigade like many others following Hurricane Katrina. She started with the midnight to 7:00 a.m. shift. She's been working in shelters during hurricanes since then. 

"While there I saw the need for volunteers trained for sheltering and started taking courses for sheltering, Mass Care Feeding and Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) driving," she said. "I really enjoy helping at the scene and working with others." 

Her desire to help others continued when she was introduced to Meals on Wheels and their need for volunteer drivers, too. 

"At first I had only about 15 (meal deliveries) each day but I enjoyed it so much they gave me more -- like 50 a day now," Suzette said, noting after her deliveries she goes to the Red Cross to see what help she can do there. "My day is not complete without seeing my ‘customers’ at Meals on Wheels and Red Cross." 

Her friend Laura Hann nominated her in the Salute to Senior Service Contest, from Home Instead Senior Care.

You can vote daily for Suzette today through April 30. She is in the running for as much as $5,000 for the charity of her choice, which is the Red Cross. 

"I just wish I had more hours in a day to do more!" she said when asked why someone should vote for her. "I am so thankful every day that I can go and give what I can and share with others! That's all I know to say and if others would like to vote for this ole girl then I can help even more." 

To join Suzette & begin your volunteer story with the Red Cross, visit us at RedCross.org.

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