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Longtime Red Cross Volunteer Is Honored at National Event
Written by
Amanda Mark
, Special to Redcross.org
Friday, April 22, 2005 — Betty Jo Harvey, a mother of five and longtime registered nurse, remembers her subtle induction into the American Red Cross. "I found out that the local Red Cross chapter was looking for someone to teach babysitting courses," she recollected. "So I offered to help."
And help she did.
Betty Jo Harvey (left) poses with her national volunteering award and April Hawkins, program manager with the MetLife Foundation. |
Thirty-two years later, Harvey, 71, is an active Red Cross volunteer with the North Central Texas Chapter and with the Red Cross National Headquarters. Among her volunteer roles, she travels on a moment’s notice to disaster sites around the country and teaches weather safety courses to more than 3,000 school children each year.
Recognizing her countless hours of volunteer work and her unwavering dedication to the people in her community, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging honored Harvey as a MetLife Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Award recipient.
This national award in its third year was given to 26 volunteers aged 50 and over whose volunteer experiences ranged from opening a soup kitchen to mentoring children to providing free medications to older adults.
Harvey is honored to receive the award, but says that her daily rewards are smiles from the elementary school children who she teaches. "Look at this guy," she said pointing to her photo of a young boy holding the red bucket given to all students who attend her weather safety seminar. "It’s worth it for me to see the kids engaged and excited."
This weather safety course known as "Weather or not" is in constant demand from local Texas educators and Harvey says she travels throughout the school year delivering this effective presentation to first-graders.
Utilizing her extensive training as a registered nurse, Harvey also responds to local disasters in her community. According to community members, she has appeared in the middle of the night to assist distraught families who have just lost their homes in a fire.
Harvey has traveled to over 30 major disasters across the country. She volunteered at the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and traveled to the Virgin Islands once to assist.
"She never seeks recognition for her deeds," said Dee Ann Booker, of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of North Texas, who nominated Harvey for the award. "She is content to work in the background knowing that she has made a difference."
This award ceremony set records this year with the number of applicants, award attendees and ceremony attendees. Event organizers believe the increases are symbolic of the improved recognition of older adult volunteers and the vital role they play in the community.
Recognizing the improvements that have occurred, but advocating for increased recognition of older adults’ contributions, Stacy Palmer, the editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, urged the attendees to be advocates in the volunteering community. "Older volunteers are often relegated to the role of envelope-stuffer," Palmer said. "You [volunteers] need to be aggressive to change this."
"These 26 volunteers are really the tip of the iceberg," said April Hawkins, program manager for the MetLife Foundation. "There are thousands of older adult volunteers out there."
Harvey is proud to be among the older adult volunteers, but said," I really just enjoy knowing that I’m making someone’s life better."
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