Category Archives: Homepage Posts — Other

Razi Aftab: Leading with Purpose and Passion at the American Red Cross 

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Razi Aftab, a first-year student at University of California Los Angeles studying Electrical Engineering and Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, is not your average college student. Since December 2021, he has dedicated countless hours to the American Red Cross, rising as a trailblazer in youth volunteerism. His extraordinary commitment was nationally recognized when he received the Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership at the Red Cross National Awards celebration in Washington, D.C. in April of this year. 

The award, named after the late Navin Narayan—a visionary youth volunteer and advocate—honors one young person annually between the ages of 15 to 24 who demonstrates exceptional leadership, service and dedication to the Red Cross mission. Representing the Northern California Coastal Region, Razi exemplifies these values through his extensive and impactful involvement with the organization at both regional and national levels. 

Razi’s Red Cross journey began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Encouraged by his mother and inspired by a desire to give back, he joined the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Youth Action Campaign. The campaign, which educates youth about the rules of armed conflict, sparked a lasting interest in humanitarian service and opened the door to many more roles within the Red Cross. 

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From Classroom to Community: How a Middle School Teacher Creates a Culture of Service

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In the heart of San Jose’s Evergreen neighborhood, an inkling of inspiration began with one passionate middle school history teacher and grew into a community act of service.

Spencer Archer and two of his 8th grade students, Hadar Philosoph and Jocelyn Yan, greeted blood donors upon arrival.

On Friday, April 18, the Village Square Branch Library hosted its first American Red Cross blood drive thanks to the leadership of Spencer Archer, a 7th and 8th grade history teacher at Quimby Oak Middle School and faculty advisor for the school’s National Junior Honor Society (NJHS).

“I noticed that the Evergreen area didn’t have any local blood drives and wanted to do something about it,” Spencer shared. “I looked up how to host a blood drive and was amazed at how easy the Red Cross made it. From my initial inquiry to event day, the Red Cross team had everything ready to go.”

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From Punjab to Public Service: Amarjot Toor, A Red Cross Youth Volunteer’s Mission for Healthcare Access

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Written By: Amarjot Toor

Growing up in the small town of Jagraon in Punjab, India, Amarjot Toor witnessed firsthand what it means to live without access to basic healthcare. In his rural neighborhood, a doctor’s visit was a luxury many families couldn’t afford. People often turned to home remedies or simply endured their suffering in silence. Conditions like Alzheimer’s, which touched Amarjot’s own family, were deeply misunderstood, mislabeled as superstition or dismissed entirely. There were no local specialists, no awareness campaigns, and no lifelines for those silently struggling.

Amarjot enjoys a sunset view of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge.

These early experiences left a mark that wouldn’t fade. When Amarjot moved to the United States in 2017 as a 6th grader, he carried those memories with him. In 8th grade, during a visit to a Red Cross blood drive in Vacaville, something shifted. He saw how a single unit of donated blood could save lives. He watched how people came together to support strangers they’d never meet. For Amarjot, it sparked a powerful realization: that humanitarian service could make a difference—and that he wanted to be a part of it. 

“Now, I have a chance to be part of something that does more than just raise awareness, it saves lives.” 

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Hope and Humor: A Donut Dollie’s Legacy from World War II

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Written By: Monica Rodman

“I’m here for the boys,” Marguerite Holtgrieve told the soldier who would eventually become her husband.

It was 1945. Marguerite, who went by Maggie, was one of several thousand women who volunteered with the American Red Cross during World War II. The Red Cross had started a project to boost the morale of American servicemen abroad and give them connection to home while they fought overseas. Young ladies like Maggie joined a brigade of “Donut Dollies” who served coffee, donuts, and light entertainment out of converted GMC trucks outfitted with kitchens.

Stationed on an army base in Nancy, France, 26-year-old Maggie met Ardo Stocks the day after V-E day. The medic was recovering from a gunshot wound that would later earn him Bronze Star and Purple Heart military medals.

Maggie in her American Red Cross uniform
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Your Blood Saves Lives: Become an American Red Cross Blood Donor Today

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Hi!  My name is Brad Warren, and I’m a volunteer with the Red Cross here in Alameda County, California.  Technically, I’m called a Blood Services Community Outreach Specialist, which is a fancy title that means I give free talks to the public on the urgent need for more blood donors.  I’m also a Public Affairs spokesperson, as well as trained to be a Disaster Cycle Services shelter worker to deploy wherever I might be needed to help staff a shelter in times of an emergency, such as a flood, earthquake, fire, etc.  But today I want to focus on why and how to become a donor, because “Ve Vant Your Blood!”

Brad donating blood in the San Leandro office

Before I go any further, let me briefly explain how I became a volunteer.  I’m a former business coach, speaker and trainer, and after a 40+ year career, I semi-retired and found myself with a lot of time on my hands.  So, I called my local Red Cross office and said I wanted to volunteer, and that my best skill was as a public speaker.  And guess what?  They told me there wasn’t any such position available!  Well, being a rather assertive person (just ask my wife), I asked to speak to someone further up the corporate ladder.  To make a very long story very short, two weeks later they called me back. They said, “Brad, we’ve created a new position just for you called a Community Outreach Specialist” and so began my volunteer work doing speaking engagements with the express purpose of getting more people to roll up their sleeves and donate.

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