by Mel Rubenstein

We all know that the Red Cross has blood drives and responds to catastrophes, but it does so much more, like the ‘Service to Armed Forces’ (SAF). For over 130 years the American Red Cross has been chartered by Congress to provide comfort and support to members of the United States military, veterans, and their families. Judy Pollman, Regional Director of the SAF Western and Central NY Region, proudly and enthusiastically recommended Marty Doto, and his team of Doug North, David Starkey, and Keven Thomas to be featured in this column as volunteers of the month.

Doug resides in Marcellus and volunteers with SAF and other Red Cross initiatives. He enjoys meeting the young recruits as they begin their military careers “servicing all of us.” David Starkey is Pastor at Pine Meadows Wesleyan Church in Altmar. As both a veteran and a minister, Dave sees his volunteering as a personal mission. “It has been a real blessing to let families know they will not be forgotten and are not alone. There is also a special joy when a fellow vet sending off their child to boot camp shares how the Red Cross helped them when they served.” Keven Thomas, from Ira, NY, is a veteran of the US Army. He gets special satisfaction meeting the recruits and their families. Keven says, “Sharing my military experiences with the families and answering any questions they might have,” is all the personal reward he could want.

Marty Doto was born in New Jersey, moved to Manlius, and was a manager and senior executive in the insurance business in the Central New York area. After a long successful career of 41 years, he retired and was motivated to give back to the community by volunteering. Because he had never served in the military he decided to go to the American Red Cross and work in their programs for military personnel and veterans. Due to his leadership experience in the insurance business Marty soon became a team coordinator for SAF.

The SAF mission is to serve as a “medium of communications” between the people of the US and the Armed Forces. One of the ways that Marty and his team does this is by giving presentations at Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) at Hancock Field / 174th Attack Wing, NY Air National Guard, where they speak with new inductees and their families. The leaders of the Syracuse MEPS team are Major Trevor Tetzlaff, MEPS Commander, and First Sergeant Laurence Stewart, Senior Enlisted Advisor. Stewart is also responsible for the welfare and morale of the unit.

The American Red Cross is committed to preparing family members to deal with the challenges faced while their loved one is serving away from home, and then upon their return. The Coping with Deployment course provides information on how to strengthen a families’ ability to respond to the challenges they may encounter throughout an extended deployment cycle.  And it helps when military families are separated due to remote assignments and trainings. Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications that link them with their families during a crisis, access to financial assistance, as well as information and referral services. When family back home experience an emergency, most often the death or serious illness of a family member, the Red Cross verifies the emergency information and sends a message to the military members command. The command then notifies the military member of the emergency, and works directly with the military member regarding the authorization of emergency leave.

Marty Doto and his team spend Mondays and Tuesdays at the MEPS facility at Hancock Field where they give presentations to those who want to volunteer for military service. He said; “Most times members of their families are there, and yes, including grandparents and babies. We talk to all of the families first, brief them about our roll in this process, and share helpful information about our services. There are usually around 35 family members at our sessions, but we have had up to 75 at times.”
The information given to the families includes how emergency communications are handled when there is a critical illness or death of direct family member or an accident at home. and, on the bright side, notification of a birth, given with the permission of the mother.
The information pamphlet also includes the process of Emergency Leave Verification, and how to obtain Emergency Financial Assistance which could be for rent, mortgage, food, or vehicle repair. If there are no military flights available to bring the service member home in the event of an emergency, there are zero interest loans or grants available to pay for a commercial flight.
Marty added; “My team and I are always very impressed when we meet with the officers and staff at the Hancock Field facility. Their dedication and knowledge does not go unnoticed!”
Judy Pollman said; “The Red Crossers who volunteer at the MEPS and also support MEPS administration from the CNY Chapter provide significant support to the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program in the Western and Central New York region. The mission of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program is to provide humanitarian support to service members, veterans and their families around the clock, around the globe, under a trusted symbol.Those that brief at the MEPS often are the first Red Cross face that military families and recruits will see.  They are a smiling and caring Red Cross face and they provide important Red Cross preparedness information and emergency contact information to the recruits and their families. We are so grateful for the commitment and support these volunteers provide and we are honored to support those that work at the MEPS and the new service members and their families that go through the Military Processing station.”
There are many volunteer opportunities at the Red Cross. Engaging in your community is a win-win. You are able to help your community while building your resume. The Red Cross has volunteer opportunities in military casework, CPR and First instructors, Disaster Response workers (which include logistics, driving the Emergency Response Vehicles ERV and client services) and working at military and Veterans’ hospitals.
For information on opportunities with the Red Cross in this area contact Suzann Hensley at 315-234-2217, or email to: [email protected] .
To recommend someone with a stellar record of volunteering to be featured in this column contact Mel Rubenstein: [email protected]
or 315-682-7162.

from left.. Major Trevor Tetzlaff, Marty Doto, Sergeant Laurence Stewart.