Christy Gonzague

“I love it with a passion. Giving back to the community is very important no one can enjoy happiness alone - we have to share it and give back,” said long time St. Maarten resident Christy Gonzague about her volunteer work at the St. Maarten Red Cross Chapter.
 
Originally from St. Lucia, Gonzague, whose nickname is “Charlie Golf ”, has been volunteering for the Red Cross for about five years in different capacities. For the past year, she has been assisting the organisation as Assistant to incumbent Commander Joseph Charles.
 
Before assuming this post, she assisted the organisation as a regular volunteer, Brigadier, and Field Coordinator. She is also First Aid certified and is an official CPR trainer and instructor’s trainer and facilitates CPR training programmes through the Red Cross.
 
Gonzague confessed that prior to joining the Red Cross she had a huge misconception about voluntary work and had no idea volunteering required so much time and dedication. “It’s not an easy task. You can’t please everyone. It’s a lot of hard work but I enjoy every bit of it.”

She explained how she became affiliated with the Red Cross. “My mother had leukaemia and although I was around to help I was not always there and my mother always told me that I should know what to do in certain circumstances and she encouraged me to take the First Aid course. After she passed away I saw an ad in the newspapers inviting persons to sign up for the course at the Red Cross… and I signed up for it and I have been here ever since.”
 
Many touching incidents occurred during her close to five years volunteering with the Red Cross. The one that touched her the most is when the father of her two children was shot and subsequently died in Sucker Garden around Carnival last year and she was not around to use her skills to help him.

Another incident which remains in her memory was when she helped stabilize a shooting victim and tried to keep him from falling into unconsciousness on his way to the hospital. “He said please don’t leave me and he was squeezing my hands but I had to go because I think he was about to go into emergency surgery.”
 
Asked whether she thinks people volunteer enough on the island Gonzague said: “We are all unique in our own way and whether someone chooses to volunteer or not I am still happy. But I believe that if people have the time they should definitely volunteer. You have to be in it to understand how rewarding it feels to be a volunteer and give back to your community.”
  
Her advice: “If you have the time you should try to give back not necessarily to the Red Cross because there are many organisations that work with volunteers.”
 “We can never have enough volunteers. We are open to everyone,” Gonzague said.