The American Red Cross – Wisconsin region is proud to announce Merrill resident, Laurel Cooper is Wisconsin’s Volunteer of the Month for November. Within days of the announcement, she was not only supporting local initiatives, she was also deployed for her 10th national assignment.
“Laurel lives for the time of year when she can deploy, ready at a moments’ notice,” shares Wendy Savage, the North Central Chapter Executive. Laurel volunteers countless hours to the community-at-large and has been doing so since January 2006. “Her employer Lincoln Wood Products, Inc., gives her the flexibility to help people across the country like the Texas floods, the deadly Tuscaloosa tornado and the Merrill tornado a few years back,” shares Savage.
During this time, she has served on the Disaster Action Team member and is the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) Coordinator. “Having things ready and in working order can take more time and attention than people think, but I enjoy knowing things are well organized, maintained and available 24-hours a day,” states Laurel. This is a clear expression of her dedication.
As one of the “go to” people, Laurel is often the first to volunteer, offering administrative office support, providing leadership for the smoke alarm initiative to helping people day or night recover from disasters. Recently, she taught at the state’s 4th Annual Disaster Training Conference in Baraboo. Her nomination included words such as dedication, trustworthiness and dependability. All of which have earned her the respect and confidence of volunteers and chapter staff alike.