“Recently, I attended the 2025 Northeast Division Leadership Conference in Parsippany, New Jersey! I am thrilled to have heard from a variety of impactful speakers as well as interacted with incredible leaders and volunteers from across the organization who so graciously shared their creative ideas and early-career advice with me. 

“I celebrated my birthday on the last day of the conference, and I received so many celebratory wishes from many I had never met, which truly cemented how incredibly proud I am to serve the people and mission of the Red Cross. 

“As my first year with the Eastern New York Region approaches its end, I am pleased to reflect on my work thus far. At the divisional level as a Northeast Division Projects Volunteer, my team and I are working to increase Youth Volunteer engagement. I contribute to this goal by using my perspective as a Youth Volunteer to assess our communication across email and social media and ensure it is relevant and engaging. This is done by adjusting factors like content, length, and frequency. Additionally in this role, I am brainstorming similar communication and engagement strategies for High School and Collegiate Red Cross Clubs that will successfully recruit and retain students. 

“At the regional level, I am an Eastern New York Disaster Public Affairs Team Member. Here, I liaise between ENY Disaster Response teams and media from the region’s 27 counties. The press releases inform local media of the immediate impact the Red Cross has in their communities.

“I am very proud of what I have and will continue to accomplish at the American Red Cross!”

Emma Russell – Northeast Division Special Projects Volunteer, Disaster Public Affairs Team Member