Michael Gregory (right), Board member and Red Cross Biomedical Committee chair, gave guests including Nivia Charles (left) a tour through a blood lab
Special guests recently got a rare, behind‑the‑scenes look at the American Red Cross blood processing center in San Leandro, Calif., and the visit came with some powerful reminders of why blood donation matters.
“As I am walking in today… you might not have known I have sickle cell disease,” guest speaker and sickle cell advocate Nivia Charles said as she shared her personal story. While her condition isn’t always visible, it’s far from rare: sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disorder in the U.S.
Hi! My name is Brad Warren, and I’m a volunteer with the Red Cross here in Alameda County, California. Technically, I’m called a Blood Services Community Outreach Specialist, which is a fancy title that means I give free talks to the public on the urgent need for more blood donors. I’m also a Public Affairs spokesperson, as well as trained to be a Disaster Cycle Services shelter worker to deploy wherever I might be needed to help staff a shelter in times of an emergency, such as a flood, earthquake, fire, etc. But today I want to focus on why and how to become a donor, because “Ve Vant Your Blood!”
Brad donating blood in the San Leandro office
Before I go any further, let me briefly explain how I became a volunteer. I’m a former business coach, speaker and trainer, and after a 40+ year career, I semi-retired and found myself with a lot of time on my hands. So, I called my local Red Cross office and said I wanted to volunteer, and that my best skill was as a public speaker. And guess what? They told me there wasn’t any such position available! Well, being a rather assertive person (just ask my wife), I asked to speak to someone further up the corporate ladder. To make a very long story very short, two weeks later they called me back. They said, “Brad, we’ve created a new position just for you called a Community Outreach Specialist” and so began my volunteer work doing speaking engagements with the express purpose of getting more people to roll up their sleeves and donate.
Meet Alvin Ehiriodo, American Red Cross blood donor, former volunteer and current employee. When it comes to the Red Cross, Alvin has done it all!
“I believe in the mission [of saving lives],” Alvin says of his commitment to the Red Cross. “I want to work for an organization that cares about the work they do.”
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