American Red Cross of Southeastern Michigan Celebrates Outstanding Volunteers for Years ...( DETROIT May 9 /- The American Red...),Health

DETROIT, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross - Southeastern Michigan Chapter took time out this week to honor the hundreds of dedicated volunteers that have selflessly given of their time to help the Chapter provide crucial support to residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties. The 2008 American Red Cross Volunteer Recognition events were held on Monday night at the Karas House in Redford, and Wednesday night at Club Venetian in Madison Heights.

Red Cross staff members presented several Chapter volunteer who had reached service milestones of five, ten, 20, 35 and even 50 years of service with honorary pins in gratitude for their unyielding commitment to the mission of the Red Cross. Freman Hendrix, Board Chair for the Southeastern Michigan Chapter, was in attendance Monday night and conveyed his passion for public service and his appreciation for the efforts of all Red Cross volunteers.

Volunteers support the Red Cross in the areas of disaster relief, emergency services and health and safety, and many of the most active volunteers are registered nurses whose expertise has proved to be invaluable to the Chapter. The recognized volunteers help in such capacities as planning and presenting health and safety seminars, teaching CPR and first aid classes, providing relief to families affected by natural disasters such as home fires, providing mental health counseling during crisis situations, and helping to plan and coordinate Red Cross campaigns such as the annual Blanket Days for the Homeless Campaign.

"The American Red Cross is a volunteer-driven organization, and our services to the community are only as strong as the dedication and support of our volunteers," said Jim Laverty, CEO of the Chapter. "We are proud to honor them for their tireless work and the valuable time and energy they give every single day. It is because of our volunteers that we are able to carry out our work of preventing, preparing for and responding to em
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