By Johnicia Haynes
Shawndrika Cook is a Services to Armed Forces (SAF) Red Cross volunteer. She has served in this role for five years, helping families and service members to cope with deployment and return of family members serving in the Armed Forces.
Shawndrika also serves as a Yellow Ribbon workshops facilitator for the Red Cross. In this role, she helps families to share their feelings and process the impact of deployment. She shares, “The focus is to help with consistent communication, including the creation and use of weekly family check-ins and follow-ups to share their feelings.”
Her commendable service is a result of being inspired by the experiences of a friend who serves in the military. She noted that her friend completed three tours of duty, which motivated her to help with the transition pre- and post-deployment for families. She helps coordinate Red Cross resources, such as best contact options for service members, especially during significant family events and emergencies.
When asked about one of her most memorable volunteer experiences, Cook stated, “Meeting all the volunteers serving in the Alabama and Mississippi region.” In the future, she says she will continue to promote volunteer work with the Red Cross, including the Services to Armed Forces department. “I’m so excited to share my work!”
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