The good Cornellians can do: Alex Newman ’20

Alex is no stranger to coordinating emergency relief efforts. He currently serves as Executive Director for the American Red Cross of Northwest Washington. He still recalls how impressed he was with the Red Cross when he first worked alongside their volunteers on Operation Allies Welcome, a project to resettle the 75,000 Afghan refugees who were evacuated in 2021.

“I met the folks at the Red Cross who were responsible for managing the sheltering, food, and health related needs (for the Afghans),” Alex says. “It took me weeks to learn they were all volunteers. It blew me away that so many people could put their lives on hold to do such intense work as volunteers. That was when I knew I needed to work for the Red Cross,”

During the 2025 LA wildfires, Alex worked with elected officials to ensure that Red Cross services were reaching all those affected by the fires. He recalls taking the California attorney general on a tour of a Red Cross shelter. A shelter resident stopped Alex and his guest—to personally thank them for the care she and her pet had received, including a safe place to stay, three meals a day, and medical care.

“People really came together to support in any way they could,” Alex says. “The response from people around the country filled me with such pride and gratitude during such a dark time for so many.”

Cornellians around the globe are sharing how they do good in communities big and small. Share your own story.