December Spotlight: Arinjoy (AJ) Das

AJ, a member of the Arizona and New Mexico Region’s Diversity and Publicity Committee, created a fire safety video for San Juan County that was awarded an $18,000 grant.

When Arinjoy (AJ) Das’s local chapter leader reached out to him about creating a fire safety video for the Red Cross, he was more than on board. As a passionate videographer and Red Cross volunteer, he saw this project as a great way to intersect two core aspects of his life. “When I’m armed with a camera, I can bring into the spotlight stories of values and compassion and revelations of struggles and triumphs. This time, the story would be on the importance of fire safety.

The editing process was simple: AJ made a montage of relevant photos and overlaid it with a voiceover. He was thrilled at how it all came together, and so was his county – his finished video received an $18,000 grant and is now in the works of becoming public.

AJ advises other volunteers looking to engage with the Red Cross mission in creative ways to “use your passion for a good cause. There are no limits on how you can go about it, as long as you’re able to impact your community in a positive way.”

Amazing work, AJ! We wish you the best of luck on your role with the Diversity and Publicity Committee and on your budding Red Cross journey.