On International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating women like Christine Medeiros who further our mission in communities across the globe every day. Christine is a volunteer in our Northern California Coastal Region who helps reconnect loved ones after humanitarian crises.
Making a Difference
Christine decided to volunteer with the Red Cross because she wanted to make a difference. As a California resident, Christine has seen her fair share of wildfires and knows how devastating they can be for communities. She was tired of sitting back as a spectator and wanted to find a way to get as close as she could to the frontline to help those impacted. Becoming a Red Cross volunteer was her answer.
In her first year as a disaster response volunteer, she deployed for the Mendocino Complex fire and responded to local fires as a Disaster Action Team lead. During this time, Christine also learned about our Restoring Family Links program, an initiative that helps reconnect loved ones separated by war, natural disaster, forced migration or other humanitarian emergency. After attending a workshop about the program, she was blown away by the international impact of the Red Cross and how the organization brings families together all over the world.
“Once I found out about the help we provide to so many through our international services, I knew that was where I wanted to stay,” said Christine.
Reconnecting Families
Today, Christine helps reconnect families as the Restoring Family Links Casework and Outreach Lead for her region and assists other regions in the Pacific. In her role, she receives requests from people searching for their family members. From there, she gets to work: making calls and working alongside the Red Cross and Red Crescent network to trace family members a world away. Once the Red Cross finds the person she’s looking for, she shares their contact information to facilitate communication. With each connection, Christine feels like her work is genuinely impactful.
“I love what I do at the Red Cross,” said Christine. “The Red Cross is helping protect and keep families whole, and I’m glad to be a part of a service that has been around for over 100 years.”
Growing with the Red Cross
Christine continues to volunteer with the Red Cross because she loves to learn.
“The Red Cross will always be relevant because our work is constantly evolving,” said Christine. “As a Red Cross volunteer, I believe I’m constantly evolving too because I’m always learning new things and finding things that interest me about our work. And then I get to spread that good word when I tell our partners about Restoring Family Links.”
Become a Volunteer
In the face of international crises and natural disasters, the American Red Cross and global Red Cross Red Crescent network join together to ease people’s suffering. Find out how you can volunteer like Christine to help disaster victims at home and across the globe at redcross.org.
For more information about American Red Cross’s work around the world, visit redcross.org/international.