By Kassidy Ketron
Intern
Being part of the American Red Cross isn’t just a place for
volunteer, Judy Pevytoe, to help people in a disaster. It gives her a purpose.
“I love the mission of the Red Cross,” the volunteer
services events team coordinator said. “I love what it stands for and I love
helping people. It makes me feel like I have purpose.”
Pevytoe has volunteered with the South Plains Regional
chapter for about a year and a half, with about 4,000 volunteer hours under her
belt.
She first learned about the Red Cross when we was out
shopping.
“I was bored and wanted something to do,” Pevytoe said. “I
happened to be out at the mall and Molly (Mabery, former volunteer specialist)
had a table out there and I was talking to her and she made the Red Cross sound
interesting.”
After she had a stroke in 2004, Pevytoe was spending time at
home because she was disabled.
Despite her medical problems, she volunteers anywhere from
50 to 60 hours per week.
“We’ve had high school kids up here volunteering,” Pevytoe
said, “all the way up to, the oldest couple I know that are volunteers are in
their 70s. And then of course, like me, I’m disabled and I work up here, of
course, healthy can, too.”
Last year, she was awarded the Golden Presidential Award and
Rookie of the Year.
Anyone that is interested in volunteering, Pevytoe said can
do anything from office work, service to the armed forces, teach CPR classes to
disaster response.
“(I like Red Cross) because it is a good organization and
without volunteers we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” she said.
During her year and a half with the American Red Cross,
Pevytoe said the disasters that stick out most to her are apartment fires.
“They’re so massive,” she said. “You know, when we have an
apartment fire, we call everybody in and everybody just jumps in and does what
needs to be done.”
Pevytoe said the most rewarding thing about volunteering is
the gratitude victims of a disaster have.
“Most of the time you can see a relief and they’re real
grateful that we’re there to help them with whatever we can help them with,”
she said. “That look and to know that you’ve helped them (makes it worth it)
and a lot of times you get a hug out of it.”
To join the American Red Cross South Plains Regional
Chapter, visit redcross.org/volunteer and
see how you can help.
