“I just love it. I think every kid is special. There’s something about kids that makes every effort worth it,” says Twyla.

Volunteer Chairperson Cathy Matson has been a school health volunteer since her Red Cross training in 1978. She has devoted most of her time to caring for kids in the health room until about five years ago. Though not in the school health room as often today, she still fills a behind-the-scenes role to ensure Waukesha school health rooms are as safe as possible.

District Nurse Twyla Lato “goes where the need is.” That means she spends her busy days managing health care concerns at 23 schools in Waukesha. Twyla’s daily tasks cover a wide range of activities; last week she took a bus load of children for eye exams and glasses. Another day, she visits schools, checking in with paid staff and volunteers who serve in the health rooms. She is very grateful for their hard work.

Because Twyla and Cathy know how important it is to have volunteer help, this duo regularly trains volunteer school health responders---grandparents, parents and others---to care for children through the Red Cross School Health Responder program. In addition to the Red Cross training materials, Twyla and Cathy teach with passion and years of experience.

Cathy also oversees the Catholic schools’ health programs and keeps statistics for the Red Cross. Last year, her School Health volunteers cared for 1,569 kids and spent a total of 537.25 hours in health rooms. 

Her work with the Waukesha school health program is just one way Cathy has made a career out of volunteering. Though she and her husband love to frequently travel to Florida, she has not slowed down in giving her time to various organizations.

Twyla has spent about 25 years holding different nursing positions in Waukesha schools. Though these Red Cross leadership volunteers both have grandchildren of their own, it is their dedication and commitment to other people’s children that makes their school health rooms a safe haven for many children from their community.