In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) is proud to recognize a group of outstanding volunteers whose dedication helps advance our lifesaving mission every day. These individuals were nominated by NYBCe staff members across the organization—those who work alongside them, rely on their support, and witness firsthand the impact they make. The stories shared here reflect those nominations, thoughtfully paraphrased to highlight the spirit, commitment, and meaningful contributions of each volunteer.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a volunteer for recognition. Your submissions not only celebrate these individuals, but also shine a light on the extraordinary role volunteers play in strengthening our communities and supporting patients in need.
Mary Ann Allen
Driver for Life, Community Blood Center (CBC)
Mary Ann is CBC’s longest-tenured volunteer, having joined when the Volunteer Services department was first established in 2009. As a Driver for Life at Community Blood Center, she provides a consistent and essential service each Wednesday afternoon by picking up collections from the Overland Park Donor Center and transporting them to headquarters and the Components Lab for processing. In addition to her driving responsibilities, Mary Ann is also a biweekly platelet donor, further extending her direct impact on saving lives.
Over more than 17 years of service, she has remained remarkably consistent in her volunteer commitments. Known for her positive energy, warmth, and constant smile, she embodies the spirit of a humble and dedicated volunteer deeply committed to supporting her community and the mission of Community Blood Center.
Roberta Anderson
Administrative Support, Donor Services at Memorial Blood Centers (MBC)
Roberta has dedicated nine years of service to MBC, where she is recognized for bringing intelligence, humor, and a deep commitment to the organization’s mission into her daily work. As an administrative lead in the fullest sense, she is not only reliable but also highly collaborative, actively contributing feedback and engaging in process development that helps the organization operate more effectively. She plays a key role in strengthening volunteer engagement by ensuring that volunteers feel the significance of their contributions and are consistently recognized for their impact.
Roberta independently manages the organization’s thank-you card program, a critical function for donor retention that requires both precision and care given the importance of timely, personal acknowledgment. She consistently handles high volumes of cards with accuracy and attention, while also fostering a sense of appreciation among the volunteers who support the effort.
During a significant surge in first-time donors following last year’s tragic Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, when weekly thank-you card volume increased from approximately 200 to over 700, she worked closely with a new Volunteer Manager to quickly organize card-writing events and coordinate volunteers so that every donor received timely acknowledgment. Through her leadership and dedication, she not only completes essential tasks but also strengthens the systems and people around her.
Mike Austin
Volunteer Driver, Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC)
Mike is one of the most dependable volunteers supporting Connecticut Blood Center (CTBC), ensuring the safe, timely transport of donated blood between collection sites and the Providence laboratory. Nearly every day, he completes a roundtrip drive—often close to 200 miles—while also working full time. He consistently shows up without fail, never requiring follow-up to confirm coverage.
Beyond his regular routes, Mike helps keep operations running smoothly by transporting supplies and materials between sites. His commitment is unwavering. When a CTBC van once broke down after a college collection in Massachusetts, he immediately rerouted to recover the blood products, adding significant time and mileage to his day without hesitation. In a single year, he logged more than 40,000 miles in service.
Mike is often joined by his black Labrador, Annie, whose presence brings joy to staff and donors alike. Although he can no longer donate blood due to medical reasons, Mike continues to make a meaningful impact through his volunteer work—demonstrating reliability, dedication, and a deep commitment to the mission of saving lives.
Beth-Ann Bloom
Community Ambassador, Donor Recruitment at Memorial Blood Centers (MBC)
Beth-Ann Bloom brings exceptional warmth, education, and inclusivity to donor recruitment efforts. She has a natural ability to connect with individuals across all backgrounds, helping first-time donors feel comfortable and informed.
Drawing on her background as a health educator, she translates complex blood science into accessible and engaging conversations that inspire ongoing donor participation.
At a recent community college event, she proactively reviewed all donor giveaways to ensure items were inclusive for kosher, halal, and vegan preferences—demonstrating her thoughtful attention to donor experience and belonging.
Beth Fishner
Volunteer Ambassador at New York Blood Center (NYBC)
Beth has been a dedicated NYBC volunteer for more than four years, consistently bringing positivity and optimism to every shift. Her upbeat presence is felt by everyone around her, and she has a natural ability to lift the spirits of staff, donors, and fellow volunteers alike. Even when facing personal challenges, Beth maintains a warm, encouraging outlook that helps create a welcoming and supportive environment.
In addition to her volunteer service, Beth is also a committed NYBC blood donor, further strengthening her impact on the organization’s life-saving mission. She approaches every opportunity to give back with reliability and enthusiasm, setting a strong example for others in the community. As she approaches her fifth year of volunteering, Beth’s dedication, kindness, and unwavering commitment continue to make her a valued and inspiring member of the NYBC team.
Helene Johnson
Lead Volunteer, Donor Services at Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD)
Helene Johnson has been a cornerstone of volunteer coordination at BBD for nearly three decades. Originally a BBD phlebotomist, she stepped into volunteer scheduling in the 1990s and continued even after retirement, ensuring seamless coordination of café volunteers.
At 93, Helene remains deeply active and engaged, inspiring both volunteers and staff with her energy, adaptability, and lifelong commitment to learning. She successfully transitioned from paper scheduling systems to a modern CRM, embracing change to support program growth.
Her leadership ensures volunteers feel connected, supported, and valued—many noting they “can’t say no” when she calls because of her warmth and influence.
Rick Johnson
Driver for Life at Community Blood Center (CBC)
Rick is a Driver for Lif at Community Blood Center (CBC) who joined Volunteer Services just a few months after the start of the pandemic, bringing with him extensive experience in disaster response through his work training and managing a Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) that assists communities after storms and tornadoes. His background in crisis response made him a natural fit for CBC’s STAT delivery program, where volunteer drivers are expected to be onsite within 30 minutes of a request to transport urgent orders to contracted hospitals.
From his first day, Rick has consistently demonstrated readiness and reliability, often preparing to head out the door with a large coffee in hand and an unwavering willingness to respond. He regularly combines multiple geographically close routes and is known to drive more than 400 miles in a single day in service of CBC’s mission.
Rick’s dedication extends beyond logistics to a deep personal commitment to service, consistently responding to gratitude with his signature phrase, “You know it’s my pleasure!”—which reflects his genuine attitude. Last year, he surpassed 4,000 hours of service, qualifying for the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Points of Light organization, and he will be formally recognized at CBC’s Volunteer Appreciation Service on April 22.
Greg Lowe
Blood Transport Driver & Community Ambassador at Memorial Blood Centers (MBC)
Greg Lowe is a highly dependable and enthusiastic volunteer whose contributions directly support both hospital services and community engagement efforts.
He is known for stepping in during urgent transport needs and going above and beyond in service delivery. In one notable example, Greg transported two Alyx machines to a Duluth blood drive, enabling 30 additional red cell units to be collected.
He then returned the next day to serve as “ABO Joe,” engaging donors, appearing in media outreach, and helping amplify the mission publicly. His energy and reliability make him a standout ambassador for the program.
Jeff Moore
Driver for Life at Community Blood Center (CBC)
Jeff Moore, a “Driver for Life” at CBC, has been a catalyst for change within the Volunteer Services department. He initially joined CBC seeking a volunteer opportunity to complement his hospital volunteering duties two days per week, but his commitment quickly expanded to driving three days one week and four days the next, often beginning shifts as early as 4:30AM. When he found that delivery routes were consistently filled, Jeff actively advocated for expanding the use of volunteers to cover hospital exchange routes of four to six hours, helping shift work from paid couriers to volunteers and generating an estimated $50,000 in annual savings for CBC.
Known for his extraordinary dedication, he frequently arrives well before his scheduled shifts and, even while out on deliveries, checks in with Hospital Services to identify additional routes he can take. On Fridays, he is typically scheduled for metro Kansas City hospital deliveries beginning at 8:00AM, yet he often completes additional three-hour round-trip routes beforehand, motivated by the desire to maximize efficiency and cost savings.
Over his three-year tenure, Jeff has contributed approximately 3,600 volunteer hours and has become a familiar and beloved presence in the Volunteer Office, where his constant engagement and enthusiasm have earned him the affectionate reputation of the department’s unofficial mascot.
Eileen Woods
Volunteer Ambassador at New York Blood Center (NYBC)
Eileen has been a dedicated NYBC volunteer for eight years, consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting the organization’s mission through both personal and broader challenges. Throughout her service, she has remained focused on prioritizing donors and contributing in whatever capacity is most needed, always seeking ways to make a meaningful impact. Early in her volunteer journey, Eileen recognized the need for enhanced barcoding support for donors and quickly requested training so she could assist in that critical function, ensuring a more efficient and supportive donor experience.
When she was unable to volunteer in person at donor centers and blood drives for a period of time, Eileen adapted her service by becoming a thank-you postcard writer for first-time blood donors, finding a new way to remain actively engaged in the mission. Since beginning this role in May 2024, she has written 2,379 personalized thank-you postcards, offering appreciation and encouragement to new donors. Eileen’s willingness to pivot her service while maintaining her dedication highlights her resilience and deep commitment to NYBC. Her strength, adaptability, and unwavering support for both donors and the organization make her an inspiring and invaluable member of the NYBC volunteer team.
Pat Yahnke
Canteen Host at Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB)
Pat’s journey with Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB) reflects the very heart of what it means to serve. She began as a dedicated blood donor in 2002 and, when she was no longer able to donate due to medication, she transitioned her commitment into volunteer service rather than stepping away. Since 2011, Pat has been a consistent and invaluable presence in NCBB’s blood drive canteens, continuing to make a meaningful impact by supporting donors and ensuring positive experiences at events.
Her dedication extends across some of NCBB’s largest and most complex drives, including UNL Homecoming events and the twice-yearly “Broadcasters Unite for Life” media drives, where she helps maintain calm, organization, and excellent donor care in high-energy environments. Pat is known for her reliability, adaptability, and strong sense of responsibility, often taking initiative to ensure that all donors are supported—including those participating in parallel drives in shared event spaces. Over the years, she has become a cornerstone of NCBB’s event operations, consistently showing up ready to serve wherever she is needed most.
Pat’s commitment is further reflected in her long-term impact as a donor herself, having given more than 15 gallons of blood products and regularly donating double red cells. Inspired originally by her husband, a longtime donor, she has carried that spirit of giving forward through both donation and volunteer service. She also contributes to the volunteer team at the donor center canteen and at mobile drives, where she is known for her kindness, steady leadership, and willingness to step in when needed. Her presence brings both structure and warmth, and she consistently upholds high standards while helping others do the same. Pat’s dedication, reliability, and genuine care for others make her an outstanding volunteer and a true role model within the NCBB community.
Leslie Thomas, Tom Bauer, Michelle Slafosky, Kathleen Simione, Sandra Driggers, Allison Lazarus, Cel Strecker, Helene Johnson, Denise Beck, Cathy Skelley, Susan Staniszewski
Café Lead Volunteer Team at Blood Bank of Delmarva
The Café Lead Volunteer Team at BBD plays a vital role in supporting and coordinating the volunteer program across six different buildings and approximately 93 café volunteers. Serving as the key connection between staff and volunteers, the Lead Volunteers help ensure that schedules are accurate and fully staffed, especially during holidays or other high-volume periods, and alert staff when adjustments are needed. They also support day-to-day communication by working within the online scheduling system, keeping everyone aligned and informed.
In addition to administrative coordination, Lead Volunteers take responsibility for training new volunteers in the café and sometimes in other roles within the centers, helping to ensure consistent service and donor care. They closely monitor volunteer engagement and well-being, often noticing when someone may need support, encouragement, or recognition, and they alert staff accordingly. The team also contributes ideas to improve the donor experience, from café operations to supply management, and helps identify opportunities for enhancement.
By building strong relationships with the volunteers they lead, they serve as the essential “glue” that keeps the program connected, engaged, and responsive. Their efforts directly support a positive donor experience, particularly since café volunteers are often the last point of contact for donors as they leave the center.
Yeong Cooney, Stacey Crabtree, Pat Hartel, Lynda Hirshekorn, Madge Moore, Danience Moreland, Cindy Randall, Kristy Reynolds, Linda Roberson
Thank You Card Writers at Community Blood Center (CBC)
The Thank You Card Writers at Community Blood Center (CBC) practice the increasingly rare art of beautiful penmanship, providing a deeply personal touch to donor appreciation efforts. These dedicated volunteers handwrite messages of thanks to all first-time donors and carefully address each envelope by hand. Working from home, they are typically given lists of about 60 donor names and addresses at a time, with completed cards mailed from the administrative office within one to two weeks.
The program plays an important role in ensuring that new donors receive a warm, individualized expression of gratitude, helping to strengthen donor engagement through thoughtful, handwritten communication. What began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a safe way for community members to stay involved while following health protocols has since grown into a lasting and meaningful volunteer initiative. Over the past six years, volunteers have handwritten tens of thousands of thank-you cards, each one reflecting care and appreciation.
The flexibility of the program allows volunteers to contribute in creative ways during their personal time. One writer, for example, has taken cards along on international travel, completing messages during long flights—so that some CBC donors have received notes that quite literally traveled to Paris before arriving in their mailbox. Through their consistency, craftsmanship, and dedication, the Thank You Card Writers continue to provide a simple but powerful connection between CBC and the donors who make its mission possible.