Tag Archives: Volunteers

Flight Surgeon Scores a Winning Volunteer Gig

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Can you imagine how eager a sports fan would be to hang out with their favorite team for the weekend? That’s how Dan Canlas, MD, retired Lt. Col. of the U.S. Air Force, describes his volunteer role for the American Red Cross. He is keen to spend his free time hanging out with his team of aircrew and operational personnel!

His role as a volunteer flight surgeon is part of a partnership the Red Cross has with the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California. Dr. Canlas and his fellow Red Cross colleagues volunteer their time and medical expertise at the flight medicine clinic, treating the aircrew and other military members involved in the flying mission.

From left – Red Crossers Aerial Chen, Alzinia Pailin, Dr. Justin Nast, Dr. Dan Canlas, with Col Alexei Kambalov at the flight medicine clinic at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, site of a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and U.S. Air Force. (Photo by Roderick Tapnio)
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“I feel like they’re the heroes in this world.” Future Firefighter Inspired to Help Red Cross Make Homes Safer

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On a recent chilly Saturday morning, high school senior Brayden Rapa joined dozens of other volunteers at the Vallejo Mobile Estates. Their goal was to make this community safer by installing free smoke alarms, made possible courtesy of the American Red Cross.

Brayden, a student at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, volunteered for the event as part of his senior class project. He says most seniors choose a project based on a career path they are passionate about. He chose fire prevention because he plans to become a firefighter.

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A Salute for Your Service: Our Partnership with David Grant Medical Center

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American Red Cross volunteers provide warm human interactions at the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base. This includes greeting patients and visitors at the front desk, answering phones, and providing directions.

In the white, sterile halls of a hospital – any hospital, let alone one on a military base – you might expect to find expert medical care. But thanks to the American Red Cross, at the David Grant Medical Center (DGMC) on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, you’ll also find bright, cheery and helpful volunteers.

The Red Cross has a special partnership with the medical center where teens and other volunteers “are able to augment the hospital experience for patients, providing warm human interaction while allowing hospital staff to focus primarily on their medical duties,” says Nikki Rowe, Red Cross director of Service to the Armed Forces and International Services for the Northern California Coastal Region. Nikki has been managing the relationship with the DGMC for several years as part of her responsibilities.

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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 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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