Tag Archives: Diversity

The Heart of a Shelter: Jodi Wallace’s Strategic Lead in the Alaska Typhoon Recovery 

Posted on by
Jodi Wallace in Alaska after Typhoon Halong

For American Red Cross volunteer Jodi Wallace, the call to deploy to natural disasters is a lifelong mission. Most recently, she was one of the many volunteers that deployed to Alaska to aid the thousands of survivors affected by the destruction of Typhoon Halong last October.  

Referring to herself as a “Katrina baby,” Jodi has been deploying to natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina. When she first heard the call for Red Cross volunteers on the television and radio, she signed up and began her journey assisting in the shelters.  

“I realized that sheltering was really something near and dear to my heart, so I stayed with it. For at least the first 16 years, I predominantly ran shelters as a shelter manager because that is really what I loved and was passionate about,” she said. “For the last four years, I started doing other things, but my favorite is being Mass Care Chief because it keeps me close to sheltering.” 

Read more

From cybersecurity intern to AAPI+ advocate: Shivang Pasi’s inspiring Red Cross journey

Posted on by
Shivang visited the American Red Cross National Headquarters in D.C.
“When I was in D.C. for the AAPI+ Resources Group convention, I saw how dedicated everyone was. These people were volunteering their own time on top of their actual day-to-day jobs to help support AAPI+ and other resource groups. It made me feel like I was part of a family, not part of a corporation,” he said. Photo courtesy of Shivang Pasi

From holding a cybersecurity internship, to attending a compelling diversity conference in Washington D.C. to becoming an active member of a national resource group, Shivang Pasi exemplifies how one can make an impact in several ways within the American Red Cross in a short time. Shivang is one of over 275,000 American Red Cross volunteers from across the country who has engaged with the organization’s humanitarian mission, though he never expected himself to be this involved when he started.

Shivang’s journey as a Red Crosser began the summer of 2024 when he secured a cybersecurity internship with the organization’s Northern California Coastal Region, which serves more than 10 million people across 15 counties from Monterey to Sonoma. As a current fourth year student at San Jose State University, Shivang was drawn to specialize in cybersecurity because of his love for puzzle solving. 

Read more