Hi. I'm Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross. The Red Cross has a long history of relying on the valuable service of volunteers. That's why we're very excited to be part of the United We Serve initiative.

There are lots of ways you can volunteer with the Red Cross. You can lend a hand to a military family, or help your neighbors prepare for a disaster, or give the gift of life by donating blood.

I hope you can find time this summer, even a few hours to join us in making a difference in the lives of others.

If you currently volunteer with the Red Cross or even another organization, thank you so much for your service.

If you'd like to volunteer with the Red Cross and be involved with the world's largest humanitarian movement, contact your local Red Cross chapter by visiting www.redcross.org.

Volunteer for the American Red Cross and change a life, starting with your own.

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Find out 10 easy ways you can serve your community this summer through the American Red Cross.

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American Red Cross worker Eric Porterfield is currently in Southeast Asia documenting the progress the Red Cross has helped the tsunami affected communities make.

Im currently traveling in Asia to a few of the countries affected by the December 2004 tsunami to document how the Red Cross is helping communities recovery and rebuild. My first stop was Indonesia.

The northern coast of Sumatra is one of the most picturesque places Ive ever traveled. If it was in the United States the stretch of coast from Banda Aceh to Calang would be nothing but five star resorts and million dollar homes, but these beaches are mostly undeveloped.

While traveling from community to community, Ive heard many sad stories as people talk about how the tsunami personally touched their lives. One such story comes from the small fishing village of Paton Makur near Calang, Indonesia. I first saw Mr. Ibnu Abas, a 50 year-old father of eight who has lived in the village for more than 40 years, carrying several colorful fishing nets past the community center where the American Red Cross was teaching children how to properly wash their hands and pick-up garbage with educational games and competitions. I found out later that several of Mr. Abas children were participating in the activities.




I decided to follow Mr. Abas on his journey, which ended up being a little less than a mile long walk to his small motorized canoe-like boat on a small stretch of beach. I watched as he loaded three large fishing nets onto his boat and pushed it into the water, which I found out happens everyday at 4pm. Before he headed out to sea to set the nets, I asked him if I could follow him along his journey the next morning and he kindly agreed.

The next morning I arrived at the same location at 7 a.m sharp. I wasnt surprised to see Mr. Abas patiently waiting and ready to go. He reminds me of my father, an early riser that is always busy doing something and unfailingly three steps ahead of me.

I quickly jumped into another slightly larger boat of a fisherman that had agreed to take me out so I could film Mr. Abas journey. Armed with only pen and paper, a digital camera and a camcorder, I swiftly pulled out my Flip video-camera and started recording.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the sight of the first net. I was full of anticipation as he began to pull the net out of the water. The first few grabs yielded nothing more than seaweed, but then, much to my surprise, a medium size lobster was flopping in his net. He quickly untangled it set it aside to sell at the market later. As the morning progressed he caught a few more lobsters, maybe a dozen fish and a few conch shells, but this voyage was much more than a fisherman just catching fish.

On December 26, 2004, the village of Paton Makur was completely destroyed by the tsunami. Houses, neighbors, children, friends were washed out to sea, never to be seen again. Mr. Abas lost his his house and his thirteen year-old son to the waves that day. I can tell by the expression on his face and the tears forming at the corner of his eyes that its something he thinks about constantly.

Now, four and a half years after the tsunami, Mr. Abas and his family are living in a new house built by the United Nations with clean water and a sanitation system provided by the Red Cross.

Mr. Abas is hopeful for the future and plans to open a fruit and vegetable stand to earn additional income for his family.

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A short video of some of our best posters from 1918 to 2005

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I don't know the date of this. 1936 seems about right

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HI, IM JOSH DUHAMEL. MANY PEOPLE IN MY HOME STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY FLOODS AND SEVERE WEATHER. HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DISASTERS LIKE THE CURRENT FLOODS AND WINTER STORMS BY DONATING TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS DISASTER RELIEF FUND. YOUR DONATION ENABLES THE RED CROSS TO PROVIDE SHELTER, FOOD, COUNSELING AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF DISASTERS. THE AMERICAN RED CROSS RELIES ON YOUR SUPPORT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF DISASTER VICTIMS. TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION, CONTACT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS TODAY. YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED. CALL 1-800-RED CROSS OR VISIT RED CROSS DOT ORG.

For more info and real time disaster response updates from the Red Cross, visit http://newsroom.redcross.org

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On June 17, 2009, the President unveiled United We Serve, a call to all Americans to join a volunteer effort this summer and be part of building a new foundation for America, one community at a time. The initiative is led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency dedicated to fostering service in communities across the country. Learn more at Serve.gov. (public domain)

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American Red Cross supporter Demi Lovato.

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Find out 10 easy ways you can serve your community this summer through the American Red Cross.

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Angela, you've been after me to do this for a very long time so, for our anniversary, I decided to do it. I love you. Happy Anniversary.

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A big 'thank you' is in order for the awesome people at the blood drive. Just for the record, this is not endorsed by the Red Cross, they were just kind enough to let me document my first gallon achievement.

To find out where to donate in your area, visit:

www.redcross.org


Music provided courtesy of incompetech.com.

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Funny facial expressions and the way he says blood. He accidently hit his little brother in the mouth with his head. Mom did take care of it for those of you who dont understand the video.

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