By Red Cross Volunteer Isabella Fiello

_{Written by Isabella Fiello}

The Presidential Award is a prestigious recognition for volunteers around the country; to even qualify, you must have completed over five hundred hours of service. Of the hundreds of thousands of volunteers nationwide in the Red Cross, few reach this goal in their lifetimes. Recently nominated for the Presidential Award, Jana Norton has accomplished this and much more in less than four years.

Jana began her career in community early in her life; as the wife of a Coast Guard, she constantly traveled, giving up the comfortable, rooted lifestyle many of us enjoy for the greater good of community. Every chance she had in each new location, she helped her fellows, proving time and time again her tireless commitment to others. Three years ago, she visited the scene of a tragic house fire, where she found the Red Cross addressing the fallout. “And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, the Red Cross’,” she laughed. This by-chance introduction led her to become a volunteer for the Red Cross, giving up her free time for others once again. Here in the northwest, she says, disasters are practically back-to-back, so “the Red Cross is ingrained into the community”.

Her outstanding commitments shone through in her work, and she was recognized with a collaboration award only last year. “This last nomination took me completely by surprise,” she confessed. “There are so many wonderful volunteers, and I was humbled by the recognition.”

Though Jana delights in remembering every volunteer mission she has participated in, one significantly stands out in her eyes: the Service to the Armed Forces conferences. She recalls watching the youth of today sworn into the army, signing to be the soldiers of tomorrow. Their parents and families watched with chaotic mixes of pride, joy, sadness, worry, and enough nerves to light up a city. These are the times the Red Cross’s true mission really show through, she says; not just to clean up after disaster, but to prevent the tragedies we all fear. She remembers the feeling of pride in her work as she approached families and soldiers alike, assuring them they were in good hands with the Red Cross. As she explained how the soldiers would be not only prepared for emergencies, but aided in the event of a tragedy, the apprehension began to ebb from their faces, replaced with a peace of mind and happiness. These are the moments which make a true volunteer, as it was worth it all to Jana just to see a smile grace the faces of the frightened, replacing fear with sparks of hope.

To the new and young volunteers out there, Jana says, “You need to volunteer hard. Explore. Take little bites to understand everything ties in and learn how everything works together in conjunction. Learn to understand.”

Join Jana, along with many more inspiring individuals and begin your volunteering journey at RedCross.Org/Volunteer!