October Blog

October Service Hours: 5

Total Semester Service Hours: 5

In the month of October, it felt amazing to return to a glimpse of normalcy. With mask mandates ending statewide, it was awesome to see all of my classmates faces finally. I am satisfied and impressed with how Tulane University has handled controlling the spread of COVID-19 and allowing students to return to our livelihoods with less restrictions. More importantly, I have started to make some strong friendships with my classmates. We have been enjoying the city of New Orleans and studying with each other, and I look forward to continue building friendships with everyone. With the cardiovascular module exam coming up soon, we will definitely motivate and rely on each other to receive the best grades possible.

I have been volunteering for the American Red Cross intermittently for the past two years. I started as a COVID-19 shelter associate, and gradually accepted higher volunteer positions within the organization. I became a member of the Disaster Action Team, and recently accepted the position of becoming an emergency response supervisor for disaster shelters. I have cherished my experiences volunteering for the American Red Cross. Their goal is to help prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies worldwide. The volunteers I have met from all around the nation have been so kind, and I have found it humbling that these people all have a common goal of helping others whenever a disaster occurs.

I was fortunate enough to have two of my classmates, Gianna and Megan, volunteer with me to assist in packing shelter kits that needed to replace those used for the Hurricane Ida response. This included constructing and organizing shelter binders, preparing client-intake paperwork, and adding necessary items to the shelter kits. In addition, we made Halloween goodie bags which consisted of candy, a toy, and a preparedness card for an upcoming event at the American Red Cross. This event included taking children who have been diagnosed with autism and other mental diseases trick-or-treating in a local Baton Rouge neighborhood. I always have a gratifying feeling in my heart knowing that I am giving back to my community, preparing for the next upcoming natural disaster, and making a young children's day with a simple gesture.