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.”
The holiday season can be a tough time for those who are away from home. For U.S. military members and their families stationed at an international military base, this feeling can be particularly strong. Aerial Chen, Service to the Armed Forces specialist for the Northern California Coastal Region, has been deployed to Poland since July 2024 to support the Red Cross mission and bring a sense of home and warmth to the service members on base.
Aerial and volunteers from the morale team coordinate several activities year-round but get especially creative around the holidays. They are excited to organize holiday traditions, including decorating Santa hats, undertaking a holiday cooking challenge, baking holiday cookies from scratch, performing surprise caroling for the troops, building gingerbread houses, and more.
“For me, this holiday [season] reminds me to be grateful,” Aerial stated. “I am currently grateful for the warm weather, delicious food, and a supportive network of family, friends, and colleagues back home in California. I am especially grateful for the care packages that folks from our Red Cross teams and staff had been sending me as it truly helps to keep me motivated in supporting our service members.”
Photo Courtesy of Aerial Chen
This particular deployment has challenges like no other for Red Crossers and service members alike. From experiencing sunset at 3 p.m., lacking access to a proper kitchen to cook, or being away from loved ones for a long time, these unique moments can be difficult. “To ease these hardships, the Red Cross has helped by facilitating fun morale events every day to keep people’s spirits up, providing cooking equipment that can be used in the Morale Welfare and Recreation tent, and offering free stamps and cards to send home to loved ones,” Aerial explained.
Service members are always encouraged to volunteer with the Red Cross. “They can recruit other volunteers, brainstorm and facilitate morale events, or keep the respite room clean and stocked with snacks, hygiene supplies, and coffee, among many other activities,” Aerial commented.
Photo Courtesy of Aerial Chen
As a thank you note for Aerial and her amazing team, Sergeant Daniel Sotoluna shared a story that surely portrays the Red Cross mission in action: “It was a dark and cloudy day. We had been firing tanks and enduring the cold all day, and night was fast approaching. As we sat there in the cold huddled up like penguins, the wind howled and rushed past feeling sharp like a knife. As we started to go quiet, taking a break for a couple of hours, the Red Cross showed up like an angel coming to help us fight the cold,” he said. “Morale picked up quickly within the companies of 2-12 and even after enduring such harsh cold, soldiers were able to smile and ran towards the Red Cross. Not only was hot chocolate and coffee provided which warmed the soul, but they armed us with hand warmers to help us stay warmer longer during the night. With smiles on our faces and warm fluids in our bodies we prepared for the night and thanked the volunteers of the Red Cross for coming to our aid during training and the battle of the cold. Everyone appreciated how the Red Cross provided us with support and couldn’t wait to see them once again. Thank you, Red Cross.”
We are proud to be represented abroad by Aerial Chen and many other Red Crossers who dedicate their time to our humanitarian mission. Thank you for your service!
Meet Mia Fahad, our Regional International Services volunteer. She has been accepted into the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Solferino Academy’s Limitless programs (Limitless LEAD and Limitless 2.0), an international professional development opportunity. Hundreds applied but only 10 spots are reserved for American Red Cross participants. The Limitless LEAD programs are for Red Crossers who are already active in the space of humanitarian innovation and seeking an opportunity to advance their skills in leadership and coaching. They will go on to support the mentorship of Limitless 2.0 participants in their innovation journey.
Learn more about Mia and what she looks forward to the most in participating in this unique program through an interview with Red Cross Communications volunteer, Anika Kurkut.
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