Andrew Leavitt became a Red Cross volunteer last fall. Originally from Massachusetts, he moved to Prince George’s County to pursue a degree in Logistics at the University of Maryland. He has been working with UPS for the last three years, but when he graduated from school last year he started to look for something to do during his spare time. Since Andrew has always had a strong interest in disaster relief, he felt that joining the Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) and the Logistics Team would be a great way to use his skills to help others and give back to his community.

As a DAT member, Andrew is on a roster as a responder for local disasters. As a member of the Logistics Team he works on trailer maintenance and pulling, and also assists in large scale events, such as the Marine Corps Marathon in October. Rasheed Plummer, the Disaster Relief Coordinator at the Prince George’s County office, commented, “Andrew is very task-oriented and he works well with his team.” Andrew brings a wealth of relevant experience and skills to the volunteer staff of the American Red Cross.

Andrew’s dedication to disaster relief work went a step further back in February of this year, when he arranged for the American Red Cross to receive a $10,000 donation from UPS. Andrew was one of 10 UPS employees who were selected to receive $10,000 on behalf of the organization they volunteer with. Andrew said, “It was 10 p.m. at night when I received the call informing me that I had been selected. I immediately contacted Rasheed, my Disaster Relief Coordinator, to share the news.”

Andrew expressed that he is very happy that he was able to arrange this donation for the Red Cross. He shared, “I like to see that I can contribute and make an impact in any organization I'm involved with.”