From city to non-profit, we all care!

By Alexander Margulies Cohen, American Red Cross in Greater New York Fellow

This year working with the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC-GNY), through the John D. Solomon Fellowship, has been illuminating! Beyond the many Emergency Management acronyms and jargon I have learned, I have benefited greatly from working in a non-profit for the first time. It was an interesting departure from the government agencies I have worked with in the past.

The ARC is a place run by incredibly dedicated professionals, with wheels that are greased, and vehicles driven by volunteers, some of whom have been with the organization for decades. Working on the DAT team has given me a glimpse into the best and worst of New York City. Traversing the city in a bulky emergency response vehicle, helping people get through what are often the worst days of their lives, has been a surprisingly optimistic experience.

I have gotten to see parts of boroughs, I went to as a kid, through the lens of someone who has provided support during the catastrophes vs. someone who was just observing. People who have lost everything can often be frayed to their core, but simultaneously demonstrate a level of poise and a sense of humor that I hope I can share should I be in the same situation. Volunteers who give their time to the Red Cross when they could be working to pay their bills or retired on a beach in Florida represent a level of community concern which almost seems out of place in the cynical New York of my younger generation. There is a fundamental difference between being a concerned citizen and someone who is being relied on to solve problems larger than what one person, organization, or local city government is capable of truly addressing. It has been an honor and a privilege to participate in the fellowship at the American Red Cross.?