Orissa Red Cross

You can find the Orissa Red Cross over in Manglabag. Our building is quite old and has a lot of history to it. You can see it in the high ceilings and the way the floors have worn down over the decades. We do a lot of different things here, mostly centered around helping people when they are in trouble. Whether it’s an accident or a larger problem in the community, we try to be ready with supplies and a few extra hands. The office is always a bit of a mess because we are constantly moving boxes of bandages, food, and other essentials. We have a lot of volunteers who come in after their regular jobs to help out. It’s a dedicated group of people. We don’t have any fancy office furniture or a modern breakroom. Most of us just eat our lunch at our desks while we work. The area around Manglabag is usually quite busy, so there’s always something going on outside our windows. We don’t spend much money on advertising or making ourselves look good. We would rather spend that money on more medicine or blankets. It’s a very straightforward way of working. We see a need and we try to fill it. Some days are exhausting and we go home feeling pretty worn out, but we are always back the next morning to do it all again for the community.