By Sharon J. Alfred, Red Cross Senior Journalist Volunteer
Did you survive a disaster? Do you need help from the American Red Cross? Do you need a nurse? If so, Red Cross volunteer Posie Carpenter can help.
Carpenter is the director of the National Nursing Network at the Red Cross. According to Carpenter, “The Nursing Network is responsible for recruiting, engaging, supporting, retaining and recognizing nurses and other health professionals across all service lines of the Red Cross.”
She has six division nurse leaders (all volunteers) reporting to her and 50 regional nurse leaders (also volunteers) around the country reporting to their division group.
Carpenter also serves as a board member on the Western Los Angeles Chapter (formerly known as the Santa Monica Bay) and her direct supervisors are Julie Thomas, executive director of the Western Los Angeles Chapter, and Linda MacIntyre, Chief Nurse of the Red Cross.
Additionally, she is a Biomedical volunteer and serves as RN of Record at blood drives (the state of California requires RNs be present at all blood drives).
At some blood drives, Carpenter said, “I will also fill the Blood Donor Screener role and the Blood Ambassador role, if those volunteer positions have not been filled for a particular drive,“ Carpenter said.
Carpenter is also involved with the Red Cross’ Tiffany Circle on many levels. Tiffany Circle members are female philanthropists who invest $10,000 annually in their local Red Cross, exemplifying the virtues of the organization.
“As the vice-chair of the Los Angeles Tiffany Circle (LATC), I work with the chair of LATC and the development staff in LA to develop the LATC strategic plan, run monthly meetings, cultivate new members, produce events and encourage participation in mission-based activities, such as Sound the Alarm campaigns,” Carpenter said.
As you can see, Carpenter already maintains a busy volunteer schedule, yet she finds the time to volunteer on disasters, too. As a disaster volunteer, she takes preparedness training and participates in the Map Your Neighborhood program.
An active beneficiary of Red Cross programs and activities since she was a young girl, Carpenter recalled that when she retired, her friend, Judy Chambers Beck (then-chair of the Santa Monica Bay Chapter board) invited her to join the board. Carpenter immediately responded “yes” without any hesitation.
Ever since joining that Red Cross board back in 2015, Carpenter has charged full steam ahead.
The more involved she became in the Red Cross, “the more I have fallen in love with the organization,“ she said. It is truly amazing to her that recipients of Red Cross services are always so grateful and always give a heartfelt “Thank you.”
And so, “it is an honor to serve each and every one of them,” she said.
This story originally appeared in the Exchange and can be viewed there.
