By: Cassandra Beard
Communication Intern

Prompted by the humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, Parker Stanzione began researching ways she could become involved with relief work. A longtime resident of the D.C. region, she knew there were plenty of opportunities to help. Parker realized she would need training in order to begin her work, so she signed up for the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) training camp. “At the camp, I met all these people who had the same goals that I did, and I found this new energy through working with them,” said Parker. After receiving her DAT certification, she was hooked.

She went on to do Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in April of 2010. In early July, Parker’s training was put into action when she was called to open an emergency shelter for Montgomery County residents who had lost power during the summer’s heat wave. She opened a shelter at Richard Montgomery High School and was lead at the shelter for individuals with special needs. She worked a 48-hour shift and found the experience a perfect opportunity to “get my feet wet and really put my training to work.” The following month, she took a Psychological First Aid class through the Red Cross and got her third certification. With all that under her belt, Parker signed up for more DAT shifts and became a very active volunteer.

In April of this year, she received a call asking if she was available to deploy to assist with the relief efforts following the tornadoes that devastated multiple communities in North Carolina. Parker immediately agreed, and she, along with 16 other volunteers from the region deployed to Smithfield, NC.

From the headquarters office in Smithfield, Parker was deployed to Fayetteville, NC. “I worked in Client Services. I was assigned to do outreach with three other volunteers – a Mental Health Services volunteer, a Medical Services volunteer and another Client Services volunteer. We worked as a team and visited the homes of the families who had been hit the hardest,” she explained.  Her team navigated the debris lined streets with missing road signs to find victims who needed the most help. This experience had a strong impact on Parker. She left Fayetteville feeling she had made a real difference.

Parker plans to remain actively involved with her Red Cross. She will take Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) training and wants to become a part of the Advanced Public Affairs Team (APAT). Her dedication to the Red Cross and the hours she has given as a volunteer are key in helping the Red Cross fulfill its mission. 

 Volunteer Parker Stanzione in Fayetteville, NC.