April 19-25 is Volunteer Appreciation Week. To celebrate this important week, we are highlighting the people who carry out the important work of the Red Cross---ordinary people who donate their time and talents to help others. If you would like to join their ranks, visit our Volunteer page.

Nancy Cianciolo’s family vacation was going great. While her husband attended a seminar, Nancy and her kids were able to shuttle to local attractions from their hotel in New Orleans. It was 2005 and Nancy and her family were enjoying themselves but also keeping an eye on the sky. A storm named Katrina was headed their way, though none of the locals seemed worried.

Nancy and her family ended their vacation on Saturday. On Sunday, from the comfort of her home, Nancy watched in horror as her local news report showed the winds and rains of Hurricane Katrina destroying the places her family had just visited the day before. Their hotel was on the front page of the newspaper, the windows completely blown out.

She saw the devastation, and she wanted to help.

One phone call later Nancy was on board as a Red Cross volunteer and three and a half years later, she continues to volunteer. She is a fixture at the Waukesha office of the American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin.

“She’s our lifeline,” Red Cross staff member Geri Olson says.

Once or twice a week, Nancy comes in for a few hours and helps with mailings. She posts classes to the website and assists with distributing e-mails about upcoming water safety trainings. Without her behind-the-scenes work, the Red Cross would not run as smoothly.

“She’s a great volunteer,” staff member Mark Varichak says. “Nancy is dependable. You can always count on her to come in and do great work.”

Talking with Nancy, it’s clear that volunteering is a two-way street. She knows what the Red Cross does, and is able to follow the preparation that goes into every disaster response.

“I never really thought about what the Red Cross does,” she says. “Now I see more of the help we give and I just burst with pride. Thank goodness the Red Cross is there.”

The American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin relies on donations of time and money so they can provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies in Dodge, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties. To donate your time, please visit our Volunteer page. Financial donations can be made online through our secure contribution site.