Welcome to the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter

October 2009 Volunteer Spotlight: Patti Beahan

As the seasons change this October, the volunteer spotlight falls on Patti Beahan, a Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer who has stuck with the American Red Cross through many changes in her own life. Through several work-related moves and more than 25 years of Red Cross involvement, Beahan has committed her time to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter for the past two years.

Position with the Red Cross: Beahan has been a Disaster Action Team (DAT) member with the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter since 2007, and, overall, has volunteered with the American Red Cross for more than 20 years.

Hometown: Scranton, Pa. Beahan currently lives in Squirrel Hill.

College: University of Pittsburgh

Family: Beahan is one of eight siblings, and though most of them live out of town, one sister lives in Pittsburgh.

Favorite fall activity: Bike riding around the city and on different regional trials

Favorite Steelers player: Hines Ward. “I like his smile,” Beahan said.

Halloween tradition: This Halloween, Beahan will be attending “Gourd Fest,” a friend’s annual party that is in its 11th or 12th year. “It’s a rather competitive pumpkin-carving contest,” Beahan said.

So what makes Patti Beahan the Volunteer Spotlight for October?

When Patti Beahan finished training to drive the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter’s emergency response vehicle (ERV), her instructor ended the session with a statement that turned out to be prophetic.

“I remember him saying, ‘We’re going to see you soon,’” Beahan said, adding that she found herself behind the wheel less than a month later when severe storms struck the region in early June.

As a Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer, Beahan spent four days this June in Turtle Creek, Pitcairn and Greenfield assessing damage caused by the storms and distributing food, water and flood cleanup kits in the ERV, a large truck.

“The first day I drove it, I had Patricia Waldinger (Chapter CEO) as the first passenger, and the second day it was a board member. I thought, ‘Boy, there’s no pressure,’” Beahan said with a laugh.

The fact that the Chapter CEO and a member of the its Board of Directors made the effort to connect with the flood victims that the local Red Cross was serving, however, impressed Beahan more than intimidated her.

“That’s one of the things about the Chapter; everyone is involved,” Beahan said. “Everybody works together extremely well. Everybody is calm. They just concentrate on getting the job done.”

The June flooding in the East of Pittsburgh left an indelible image in Beahan’s mind and reinforced her commitment to volunteering with the local Red Cross.

“I think that the one thing I’ll never forget is people just shoveling bucketfuls of mud out of their houses and neighbors helping each other,” she said. “Every single person that came out of their house was so grateful and thankful to us for being there.”

Whether a house fire or a large-scale flood, Beahan knows that in the aftermath of any disaster Red Cross responders will be on the scene offering relief to disaster victims.

“(Red Cross volunteers) are always there when they’re needed,” Beahan said. “It’s something I look for when there’s a disaster.”

Since 1995, Beahan has been involved with Red Cross disaster relief efforts in chapters in Pennsylvania and Virginia in at least six different chapters. As a former district manager for Boscov’s Department Store, headquartered in Reading, Pa., Beahan has relocated several times for her job, but managed to maintain her Red Cross involvement despite her location.

Ironically, Beahan was living in the birthplace of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, of which the American Red Cross is a member, when she viewed a newscast that eventually led her to the American Red Cross.

When the Oklahoma City Bombing shook the nation in April 1995, Beahan was working as a nanny in Geneva, Switzerland after completing a social work degree at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I just remember it being a helpless feeling, just sitting on the couch and watching all of the destruction and all of the people that needed help,” she said. “I was just like, wow, I wonder what you do to help a situation like that.”

After returning to the United States later that year, Beahan completed Red Cross disaster response training in Fairfax County, Va., and launched a relationship with the organization that has withstood almost 15 years and multiple moves.

“It’s just a chance to give back and just help others,” Beahan said, adding that it’s impossible to know when a disaster will strike and who it will affect. “(The Red Cross) serves everyone equally.”

Previous Volunteer Spotlights

September 2009 - Dan Lenz

August 2009 - Eula Ford

July 2009 - Sandy Stein
June 2009 - Kaitlin Norris
May 2009 - Christine Span

April 2009 - Jen Marasco

March 2009 - Polly Simmons
February 2009 - Stephanie Stanley

January 2009 - Rick White
December 2008 - Barb Spier
November 2008 - Betty Steinfeld
October 2008 - Theresa Creighan