American Red Cross - Maine Region

I love working with the American Red Cross. I've been a volunteer with them for a year and a half. I have found everyone very friendly and easy to work with. I have held 3 different positions with them as volunteer: Admin Assistant, Disaster Action Team Member and a Disaster Health Services Member. Anything I want to try, the admin is right there to help me learn. Free classes. You have to try it to believe it. Finally a work environment without a load of drama.

I volunteered there for many years. I was a client casework and sheltering supervisor, an emergency response vehicle driver, a dispatcher, a fire responder, and I responded to many disasters nationally. I have volunteered for many charities for many years. Currently, the red cross treats volunteers very poorly. Especially in the Bangor Maine office. The present program manager only cares about her career and is very disrespectful to volunteers. For my own health and well being I had to stop volunteering there. Volunteers don't stay very long which is why they need to constantly recruit new ones. There are far better choices where to volunteer.I saw many things on deployment that were very concerning. Read the articles by Pro Publica and NPR. They are also currently being investigated by the government accountability office and by Senator Grassley.