A commitment to the military care families wins a NCGC volunteer award Charlie Brown – an American Red Cross

By Stephanie Waxak, Volunteer of the Red Cross

The national capital and the larger Chesapike (NCGC) region is fortunate enough to have many wonderful volunteers who support the service of the Armed Forces program mission (SAF) to provide care and comfort for military veterans by active authorities. Among them is Robin “Charlie” Brown, whom the American Red Cross recently honored with the Mary Lou Chapman Award for his 10 years of specialized service and commitment to SAF programs.

The US Air Force veteran with 22 years of military service, Charlie won two master’s degrees in consultation and is a licensed professional advisor. It consistently supports the Red Cross SAF behavioral health program, whether it facilitates sustainability seminars, trains others to become facilitators, create and view workshops and offer support for other service lines. Charlie helped the transition to proposals for virtual workshops during the Covid-19 pandemic, while voluntarily engaged in the virtual family assistance center for the deployment staff.

An area of ​​focus is her job with Red Cross and Veteran’s Military and Veterans NetworkS Originally designed only for active military, the stability seminars developed to offer support for families and unprofessional care for wounded, sick and injured members of the service and veterans and the problems and challenges they face.

Community support is “extremely important” to members of the military community who provide care for a loved one with physical or mental health challenges or disabilities, Charlie notes.

“The critical piece is that we connect people [through the Red Cross workshops]Whether adults or children in others in similar circumstances. The more we can collect these connections, the better everyone is, “she explains.

Separated from their loved ones, especially during implementation, military families can experience high levels of stress and anxiety. The care of this population may face additional challenges of grief due to the decline of a loved one, depression or post -traumatic stress disorder. They can also experience isolation, loneliness and lack of social support they need to take care of themselves.

For military families, especially young people, caring for a family member with a health problem or disability can be stressful and isolating, Charlie adds. The Red Cross provides a curriculum specially designed for teenagers to connect them with other teenagers in care situations, normalizing their experience.

Because care, children and teenagers may fail to participate in sports and other activities after school with friends. Ask a teenager’s caregiver how they feel, and the feelings of anger are often concern. However, anger is a normal emotion in these situations – often followed by a huge sense of guilt, says Charlie.

“This is not a bad thing. It’s good to be angry. This is what you do with those emotions that matter, “she explains.

These red cross courses can be done practically or personal. Seminars for teenagers and young children are available in Gold Star camps or in veterans administration hospitals. Charlie has partnered with another stability trainer for several years to develop content specifically to meet the unique needs of children and teens in home care. The curricula for children and young people in home care (CYCH) were shared with existing resistance facilitators through 10 virtual seminars. The seminars on the soil are now officially included in regularly offered seminars for children and teens.

The success and expansion of these programs show how necessary – and valuable – they are. “The program is all over the country and is also available in military bases abroad. I was all over the country to do these seminars, “explains Charlie, who lives in North Virginia and is a leading facilitator for NCGC.

The American Red Cross SAF team supports military families during deployment and emergencies; He serves in military and veteran hospitals, conducts emergency communications and continues to support our country’s veterans after their service is completed. The team also adapts services and creates new programs to meet the needs of today’s military members, veterans and their families.

This important work is done by specialized volunteers throughout the country and to US military installations around the world.

Join Charlie and other incredible Red Cross SAF volunteers who are proud of the support of those who have given so much to our country. For more information on servicing armed forces or other volunteer opportunities, see Redcross.org/volunteer.