MANKATO — It’s no surprise that Mankato resident Colette Miller was among those who responded to an apartment fire in the Twin Cities in November, on hand to distribute food to those in need.
As an American Red Cross volunteer, she helps in all sorts of ways and disaster relief is one.
“We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our volunteers,” said Melanie Tschida, executive director for the southern Minnesota chapter. “There’s no way we could fulfill our mission if we didn’t have volunteers who are willing to do this work. There are literally people on call 24 hours a day in case of disasters.
“We’re so grateful. We wouldn’t be able to fulfill our promise to the American people if it weren’t for people willing to give their time to make it possible.”
March is nationally recognized as Red Cross Month, a time to honor the volunteers, blood donors and supporters who make the agency’s work possible. The American Red Cross serves people across the country and around the world, powered by a workforce made up of more than 90% volunteers, according to a Red Cross press release.
Nationally, Generation Z is now the fastest-growing group of volunteers, reflecting a surge of interest in community service and humanitarian work among younger generations. Millennials and Generation X volunteers continue to fill critical mission roles, while baby boomers remain a cornerstone of the volunteer workforce, the release said.
At age 62, Miller fits into that last category. And like some of her peers, she’s unable to donate blood to the Red Cross because of a medical condition. So she chooses to give back in other ways.
That includes responding to disasters such as the one in the metro in November, helping with volunteer recruitment, distributing holiday cards to veterans, and making sure households that need them have functioning smoke alarms, among other duties.
All told, Miller has racked up 482 volunteer hours since her start in April 2024. Her willingness to go wherever she’s needed is what Red Cross officials value most.
“Colette is the first one to say, ‘How can I help? Where do you need me? Let me know what I can do, and put me where you need me.’ She’s very helpful. That is something we see — there are some volunteers who can’t give blood, they can’t do that certain piece, but there are a number of other opportunities where they can give,” said Samantha Best, Red Cross community disaster program manager for the southwest area of the southern Minnesota chapter.
Tschida agreed, saying the agency favors people who are “willing to fill in wherever they’re needed most. Colette enjoys working with lots of different people, has a great sense of humor and attitude that make working with her easy and fun. We’re happy to have her on our team.”
For her part, Miller said her motivation to help comes in part from having received kindness when she needed it most. At age 36 she had leukemia and 11 years ago her husband died.
“People did it for me,” she said. “I would like to do it for somebody else. It feels good.”
To learn more about volunteering with the American Red Cross, go to RedCross.org/MNDAKS.