My in-laws retired a few years back, and like many retirees they’ve been using their newly opened schedules to catch up on traveling and other recreational pursuits. And while they have definitely been enjoying their new-found freedom, they’ve also dedicated a large portion of their post-retirement lives to service, working primarily with disaster relief efforts via the Red Cross.
Their work with the Red Cross began in 2005 - shortly before their retirement - when they dropped everything to help with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The time they spent in Hattiesburg, Mississippi would have been wonderful and selfless enough had it ended there, but they’ve since continued their work with the Red Cross by becoming very active members of the Muskegon Chapter’s Disaster Response Team.
Although retired, they both seem busier than ever, and much of this time is taken up with service. They are frequently on-call for the Red Cross, often having to drop everything to come to the immediate aid of complete strangers who suddenly find themselves in dire need. Of course their family and friends have long been aware of their selflessness dedication to their community, but last night they were publicly honored during the annual American Red Cross Volunteer and Blood Donor Recognition event when they were awarded with the Reese Extraordinary Service and Leadership Award - which, as I understand it, is the top award given to a volunteer in any given year.
The media write-up is here, and I'd be happy to pass on any congratulatory messages should you wish to send them. This is a very big deal, and I am so proud of them both!
Their work with the Red Cross began in 2005 - shortly before their retirement - when they dropped everything to help with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The time they spent in Hattiesburg, Mississippi would have been wonderful and selfless enough had it ended there, but they’ve since continued their work with the Red Cross by becoming very active members of the Muskegon Chapter’s Disaster Response Team.
Although retired, they both seem busier than ever, and much of this time is taken up with service. They are frequently on-call for the Red Cross, often having to drop everything to come to the immediate aid of complete strangers who suddenly find themselves in dire need. Of course their family and friends have long been aware of their selflessness dedication to their community, but last night they were publicly honored during the annual American Red Cross Volunteer and Blood Donor Recognition event when they were awarded with the Reese Extraordinary Service and Leadership Award - which, as I understand it, is the top award given to a volunteer in any given year.
The media write-up is here, and I'd be happy to pass on any congratulatory messages should you wish to send them. This is a very big deal, and I am so proud of them both!
2 Comments:
That's very awesome! I love to hear stories like that, about people that just want to help. And they're from Muskegon, which makes it even cooler.
That's awesome! Congratulations to them!
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