Sue Madison of the American Red Cross of Southern California is the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Volunteer of the Month for January 2022. She was nominated by Kaley Hearnsberger, the Senior Recruitment Specialist for Volunteer Services. Sue is a relatively new volunteer who was connected with the Red Cross in January 2021 by RSVP Assistant Manager, Myles Jonathan Field. Sue has been working as the Disability Integration Lead for Disaster Services and is extremely passionate about providing these services.
Sue and her team ensure that Red Cross services are equitable and accessible. Values such as a respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion are put into practice through Sue’s work to serve communities with unique needs that are impacted by disasters. For instance, her team educates Red Cross staff about the access and functional needs community (e.g., those who may be living with a disability) and their challenges. She helps create solutions to ensure there are no barriers to accessing Red Cross services during a disaster.
Over the past year, Sue has volunteered about 10 hours each week. In this time, she has helped improve services for clients with access or functional needs and has ensured that people affected by disasters have equal access to services and appropriate accommodations in shelters. Red Cross staff are grateful to have Sue on the team. Kaley Hearnsberger notes, “Sue brings incredible experience and skills into her role. She is what compassion looks like. We are extremely lucky to have her at the Red Cross.”
Congratulations, Sue, and thank you for your service to the community
