Andrea Wright is a member of our Nebraska-Iowa fundraising team. She is a regional philanthropy officer who works out of the Des Moines office. Her work with the development team helps us meet community needs in the event of a disaster.
Q: What does your title mean?
A: I have the honor of working with individuals and foundations across Iowa who choose to support the American Red Cross.
Q: How long have you been with the Red Cross?
A: I have been working for the Red Cross for just over a year. Although I was gone for three months during the spring while I was on leave following the arrival of our son, James.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: What I enjoy most about my role at the Red Cross is having the opportunity to meet with so many people who simply want to help others in need and hear why they are passionate about supporting the Red Cross and our mission.
Q: What do you listen to during the workday?
A: Depends on what I am working on. For some odd reason, I really enjoy listening to the Great British Bake Off while working on grant proposals. Maybe it is the thought of a sweet reward when it is all completed!
Q: What do you do when you aren’t working?
A: Outside of work, you can find me, my two children, James and Lucy, and my husband, Curtis, either shopping the aisle of shame at Aldi, trying out a new park or going for a walk. I also am an avid cyclist and participate in the BikeMS ride each year. You will also find me at my computer most nights as I am in the process of finishing my graduate degree.
Q: What is your favorite thing about where you live?
A: What I love the most is how easily we can access the State Capitol grounds. It is one of our favorite places to visit in Des Moines as it has an amazing history and fantastic views inside and out. One of my favorite activities is to bring the kids up to the open green space there and kick around a ball or simply hang out on the lawn.
Q: What has most surprised you while working with the Red Cross?
A: What surprised me the most was how much the Red Cross does that I had no idea about. I started giving blood when I was in high school with my dad as he was a longtime donor. So I was aware of those programs, and I knew the Red Cross helped when there will hurricanes and natural disasters; but I honestly had no idea how much more they were doing in our communities. The biggest surprise was around Service to the Armed Forces and our work with veterans.
Q: What is a Red Cross moment that has stuck with you?
A: Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work in the state of Alaska and connect with different community members across the state. One of those communities was Haines, Alaska, and when I first started at the Red Cross there had been a series of mudslides in Haines, and I remember just feeling so comforted that the Red Cross was responding and helping those impacted. It was like knowing that someone was helping your family even though you couldn’t. That feeling has stuck with me every day since and only continues to grow as I watch the Red Cross help so many communities that I have ties to across the U.S.
Q: What do you wish people knew about working at the Red Cross?
A: I wish more people knew about what the Red Cross does with regard to Home Fires and being there to help regardless of the time of day. To have to watch your home be destroyed and then have someone say that they are here to help you pick up the pieces, and mean it, well I wish more people knew about those services and how often they are needed.