Red Cross thanks its community volunteers for their life-saving work

Always first, always ready, always there.

It’s a calling Red Cross volunteers like Dan Cogar, and Genelyn Paz continue to answer even after years of serving in the armed forces. 

Cogar has served the past 32 years, dedicated to helping people in their most challenging times. 

“You can’t get any kind of reward or certificate or anything that’s as meaningful as gratitude on somebody’s face that’s been suffering, and you’re helping them," he said. 

And Paz, a member of the organization’s disaster action team and a volunteer for more than 15 years, who believes she was born to be a humanitarian. 

“Making sure they’re okay and that they’re gonna make it to another day, that’s all I need to see," she said. 

Today, the pair, alongside their fellow volunteers of the organization’s Guam chapter, gathered for a meal at the Dusit Thani Resort in Tumon. This time - the gathering is for them - a show of appreciation after the pandemic kept them apart. 

It's a special time for this bunch, one Nita Baldovino is proud to take part in, sharing why she chose to give back to a group so selfless. 

“I am a public servant, and I do believe in volunteerism; American Red Cross has a goal to give to the island community, and it is just right to be thankful with all these volunteers to host for them this small gathering," she said. 

Sharing gratitude for the volunteers is Red Cross Guam Chief Executive officer, Chita Blaise.

“To recognize all the hard work of all our volunteers—I mean, these people give up their time and their resources, and it's only fitting that we recognize them," she said. “All of our life-saving work—all of our services that we provide to the community, that’s all done by our volunteers —and our volunteers aren’t just volunteers–they’re well trained in life-saving skills, in disaster services, in service to armed forces, so those are the things that the Red Cross does!”