Hi, my name is Clementine Penninger.

I am 23 years old and have been volunteering with Australian Red Cross since 2002. I have been actively involved as a youth volunteer for the save-a-mate (SAM) youth drug and alcohol harm minimisation program. I feel the SAM program has changed both my life and hopefully, the lives of other young South Australians.

In May this year, I was elected to serve as Youth Representative on the Divisional Board of Red Cross, South Australia.

My roles within Red Cross have opened my eyes to the wonderful work that the Society performs, not only for vulnerable local people, but also in national and international communities.

As the Youth Representative for South Australia, I hope to encourage other young people to volunteer for Red Cross as a way of learning more about themselves and their community.

Since joining the Red Cross, I have had the opportunity to take part in a range of speaking engagements and attend large youth-focused events where I treated a number of casualties through the save-a-mate Program. One experience that stands out in particular was my involvement in helping save a young women’s life by administering oxygen. This was a life-changing day for me.

In the future, I hope to be involved in developing a school-based program, which encourages other young people to volunteer as a way of learning about Red Cross; themselves, and what they want to achieve with their lives.

From all my volunteering experiences with Australian Red Cross, I now know that I want to become a Paramedic in the future. Next year, I plan to start studying at university in this field.

Please feel free to visit:

www.saveamate.org.au