Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The AmeriCorps Member: A True Life Story Series



As I have previously mentioned, I have had a phenomenal AmeriCorps experience thus far. I have had opportunities to learn, experience, manage, and network on behalf of the American Red Cross in Tulare and Kings Counties. Through my experience, I have noticed organizational behavior characteristics while trying to make connections with government agencies, private businesses, and other organizations that benefit the community. From what I have seen, I cannot overemphasize the importance of this message: communicate.

If you ask anyone on my team how often I ask questions, they'll tell you "often." However, I take these calculated measures to ensure that I am most effective in my job. I strive to perform at my optimal level and to help me, I must have the right tools, information, tact, and institutional memory. When I communicate with anyone from my team, the Red Cross in our region, and the communities in which I operate, I'm helping piece together an abstract puzzle of how I can best serve the people of Tulare and Kings Counties. This is part of the reason why I love what I do - to build a more prepared, resilient community.

Though I'm only halfway through my national service, I can imagine if someone were to ask me at the end of my year, "What is the most important thing you learned from working with the American Red Cross," I might just tell them "Communication is key to success."

Amitai "Tai" S. Zuckerman
Preparedness Coordinator
American Red Cross – Tulare and Kings Counties
AmeriCorps NPRC Member 2013-2014
Community Preparedness and Resilience Services
amitai.zuckerman@redcross.org

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