Every year, as part of our commitment to supporting service members through our “Service to the Armed Forces” (SAF) program, Red Cross volunteers take part in “Stand Down” events across our communities, like the recent event at the Clark County Veteran’s Assistance Center in Washington.

But what exactly is a “stand down”?

“When it started, it was meant for the soldiers to come together after a deployment or intense training to get some downtime and check on each other to make sure they were getting what they needed,” says VP of the board for the center, Sonja Wood.  

Today, all service members and veterans can come in and see providers to get the help they need.  At the Clark County event, 65 organizations provided anything from dental screenings, to haircuts, to health services. 

Killian Hough is a veteran who stopped by the Red Cross booth with her service dog “Hope.” She picked up a Red Cross shirt from our “Godzilla Vs Kong” collection and shared her personal Red Cross story. After receiving CPR training through our programs, Killian found a new passion for saving lives and spent the next seven years teaching life-saving skills to more than 200 students.  

Killian was one of many people who were greeted by Red Cross volunteers that day.  These volunteers are committed to the SAF mission, including June Lash, who’s been with the Red Cross for 15 years.

“We volunteer our time for the military and get them the help they need. It’s a hand up not a handout,” says June.  “If you need Red Cross, we will come and help you.  If you have a home fire, we will come and help you, if you need shelter from disaster, we will help you.”

What keeps her coming back all these years? “It’s fun,” explains Jane.  “I met a lady a long time ago named Julie Berger.  She said to me, ‘I want you to be a volunteer.”  I took some training and Julie said, ‘You’re going to stay here forever, right?’  I said ‘Okay’ and I’ve been here ever since.  Julie has since passed away but, I promised her.  I’ll be here until I die.” 

Also at the table was Polly Waibel, a retired teacher and a self-described Red Cross rookie.  This was her very first volunteer event with the Red Cross. She retired from teaching a year ago and was looking for something meaningful to do.  She says her love for veterans started 25 years ago when she helped some WWII vets restore a PT Boat in Portland, and it was magical.

“I feel Veteran’s deserve everything, and they’re not getting it, and so all I could do is step in and help a little.  I think about their sacrifice and what we ask them to do when they deploy.  Then they come back and go back into the shadows, and they deserve to be in the spotlight.”

To learn more about how we serve those who serve, visit RedCross.org/SAF.

To learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross, visit Redcross.org/volunteer.