Why has Mary Jo Blackwood devoted much of the past 35 years to volunteering with the American Red Cross? It’s really quite simple. “I’ve been out there and seen what we do and we are doing great things,” she explained.

 

Mary Jo first began volunteering with the American Red Cross in Dayton, Ohio. After four years with the organization, she decided to take a CPR and First Aid Course. “As I went through the class, I remember thinking this would be fun to teach, and I’ve always loved teaching,” she said. So, Mary Jo continued taking classes to become a certified health and safety instructor for the Red Cross.

 

When she moved to St. Louis in 1984, Mary Jo immediately contacted the St. Louis Area Chapter to pursue Red Cross volunteer opportunities in her new hometown. One of the first things Mary Jo did was to work with her fellow volunteers to develop the Red Cross Lifesaver Award program. The goal of the program is to inspire the community to get trained in First Aid and CPR by recognizing local heroes who got trained and saved a life by responding quickly and appropriately in an emergency situation. Mary Jo explained, “We saw there was more opportunity to promote these wonderful people and the training available. The program, like any other, has expanded over the years.”

 

The American Red Cross has since developed a Professional Responder category for the Individual Awards to build stronger relationships with police officers and firefighters, and introduced Lifesaver Community Awards in 2007 to recognize businesses, organizations and authorized providers committed to offering life-saving training for employees and the greater community.

 

Mary Jo has also been involved with a variety of Red Cross services and programs, ranging from health and safety training to HIV/AIDS Education. She serves on the St. Louis Area Chapter Board of Directors and has served on the Regional Awards and Service Council and the National Resolution Committee. Mary Jo coordinated the volunteers for the American Red Cross National Convention in St. Louis and she and her husband were National Volunteer auditors for the National Red Cross to help chapters across the country improve their volunteer programs.

 

Mary Jo’s desire to gain a deeper understanding of the Red Cross has enabled her to recognize and serve the community’s needs through Red Cross services for over 35 years. “I truly enjoy volunteering at the Red Cross because of the confidence the Red Cross has in the organization’s volunteers,” Mary Jo said. “As volunteers, we want to reflect well on the Red Cross, and we want the Red Cross to reflect well on us.”