Tampa, FL – The Northern Minnesota chapter of the American Red Cross recently recognized ReEmployAbility as the 2018 Disaster Cycle Services Partner of the Year during its 2018 Volunteer Appreciation Events and Annual Meeting in Duluth, Minnesota on May 22.
Through ReEmployAbility’s Transition2Work® program, the Red Cross has benefited from volunteers who assist in the chapter’s Disaster Assessment Team (DAT). Whenever there is a disaster in the area, such as a fire, flood, or tornado, this team heads out within the first 24-48 hours and meets with those who are displaced and offers them financial and emotional support.
“We are humbled because we know we have won this award due to the hard work of the injured workers who are participating in our program and the remarkable work they are doing with their Disaster Assessment Team,” ReEmployAbility CEO Debra Livingston said. “Fifteen years ago, we created our company in order to give injured workers a way to return to work quickly and safely, all while giving back to the community. Since we opened, we have partnered with over 35,000 non-profit organizations nationwide, and we are proud to call Red Cross a partner.”
DAT member and Transition2Work participant John Keith is also a member of the Red Cross’ Home Fires Campaign (HFC) and received the Red Cross Rookie of the Year Award for his commitment. Through the HFC program, Keith installs smoke detectors to at-risk homes in need. Keith and his team have installed over 1,800 smoke detectors, reducing the chance of a home fire death for these families by 25 percent.
“I can’t be grateful enough for the Transition2Work program,” he said. “I don’t know where I would have been, if you hadn’t placed me with the Red Cross. It only took me about two weeks sitting at home doing nothing, before I started to feel kind of depressed with the whole situation. It wasn’t a week after I joined the Red Cross that I was a brand-new man.”
The Transition2Work program has helped thousands of other injured workers just like Keith. To date, Transition2Work program participants have provided approximately 6.5 million volunteer hours to local and national nonprofit organizations.
Source: ReEmployAbility