As the sun has set on another Red Cross month, it is important to reflect on the people and connections that allow the Red Cross to fulfill its lifesaving mission.
It's likely you've heard the story. In a tradition first begun in 1943 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, presidents ever since have declared March as American Red Cross Month. It is a time when the Red Cross honors the volunteers who make up 90% of its workforce in order to fulfill a wide range of routine as well as sudden needs that are each in their own way very important to those the Red Cross serves.
But so often we forget that carrying out such tasks involve a number of partnerships.
Some of the partnerships are formal, like those surrounding agreements with facilities that can be counted on for setting up emergency shelters when severe emergencies leave people without a place to sleep or something to eat as they plan out their next steps. Others are less formal like those agreements with clubs or churches that provide space where a blood drive can be held.
In a way, the partnership Jay and Joan Hohmann have combines
some of these features in a rare and very special way. For not only are they
life partners, but when they’re not traveling or enjoying outdoor activities
like hiking, biking, or skiing, for well over 40 years they have also made it a
point to donate blood together.
As we mark National Volunteer month this April, it is fitting that we spotlight heroes like the Hohmann's who truly embody the spirit of volunteerism and the mission of the Red Cross all year long.
So much so that Jay estimates that they have now each donated
blood 180 times.
Longtime residents of the Finger Lakes region, the Hohmann’s have further connections to Red Cross blood services
beyond just being champion donors. A former employer of Mr. Hohmann was known
to hold blood drives twice a year, and in addition to being active with Honeoye
Community blood drives, Mrs. Hohmann went on to chair their blood drive herself
for many years. Remarkably, Mrs.
Hohmann confides that as both her sister and she have received blood
transfusions she knows firsthand how critically important Red Cross blood
services really are.
It's important to remember that the need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors like the Hohmann's are the only source for those in need. This National Volunteer Month, the Red Cross recognizes volunteers like the Hohmann's who help to fulfill its lifesaving mission and invite others to get involved.
Each year, nearly 2.6 million people donate blood and platelets through the Red Cross. Donating is a simple way to volunteer and help make a life-changing difference right here in our community.
But it doesn't end there.
You can support the Red Cross by volunteering at a blood drive, teaching lifesaving skills like first aid and CPR, responding to an emergency like a home fire, volunteering at our local VA hospital and more. However you feel called to serve, it's likely you'll find a home at the Red Cross.
Story by: Robert Eurich, Red Cross of WNY Communications Volunteer
