The American Red Cross of Snohomish County is honoring more than 540 chapter volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 12-18. One of them is Edmonds resident Yvonne Smith, a registered nurse who was among the first to arrive on site when the Oso landslide struck in 2014.

Smith is involved in the Edmonds and Snohomish County in diverse ways, from teaching Girl Scouts about community service to providing training opportunities to University of Washington student nurses. She recently spent an afternoon with 10 young Girl Scout Brownies in Edmonds who were earning their philanthropy badges. Smith saw a great opportunity: “They are young girls today, but they are the community leaders of tomorrow. I had personal experience to share to help them understand how community service can play out when a disaster strikes.”

Smith took a chapter from her deployment in Hurricane Irene. She recounted an event that unfolded unexpectedly as an example of how organizations and volunteers work together to help a community in crisis. She recalled the day a high school football coach brought his team to clean up a neighborhood playground. This provided a central place for the community to reconnect and access help. The Red Cross joined in, handing out cleanup supplies to residents, setting up a first aid station, distributing drinking water and providing emotional support.

“We were so grateful to the team for the hard work they had put in, and it was also a chance for us to talk to them about how they were personally affected by the disaster,” she explained. She noted that philanthropy comes in many forms, often spontaneous and unexpected.

In helping the young girls earn their philanthropy badges, Smith pointed out the parallels in organizational missions. “Helping people in crisis is an invaluable community service and helping people is central to the Red Cross and the Girl Scouts,” she said.

You can help people affected by disasters like the Oso landslide, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.