Not Your Average Joe

by Diane Lai

After working for 42 years at United Airlines, blood drive coordinator and dedicated blood donor Joe Sweeley plans on retiring from his company at the end of January 2012. “If you ask my friends here, they will say I haven’t started working yet,” said Joe. As you can tell, Joe’s a pretty funny guy. Completely personable and a true gentleman, he has gone out of his way to make each blood center staff member comfortable and welcome at every blood drive.

He also understands the importance of blood donation. “I know that people need blood,” said Joe. “And it makes me feel good knowing that I can help someone I have never met.” During the seven years Joe has been a blood drive coordinator, he has helped collect more than 3,000 pints of blood, saving more than 9,000 lives! “If nobody gave blood, think of all the people that wouldn’t be alive today,” he said.

Joe enjoys being a blood drive coordinator, and has always gone above and beyond his duties in order to help spread the word and get his employees involved. He also likes being a blood donor because he gets a chance to see and talk to fellow donors and make new friends. United Airlines staff give blood at quarterly drives held at the Maintenance base at the San Francisco Airport.

We thank Joe for all his dedication and hard work thusfar, and are sad to be losing him next year, but we know his hard work with the United Airlines blood drives will carry on long after his retirement! When asked what his plans are once he retires Joe said, “That’s the hardest question of all. Spending time with my wife, keeping active, and doing whatever my body will let me do.”

Have you ever thought about becoming a blood drive coordinator for your company? See the Coordinator’s Corner on our website for more information!

Tuesdays with Jayne

There are some who visit the same café or diner for several years because they have a favorite server they like to converse with.

Similarly, at the Redwood City Center (RCC), there are some people who donate blood only on Tuesdays for that very same reason. They enjoy talking to Jayne Bloom.

“Sometimes I’ll peruse the newspapers so I can have topics to talk to donors about,” said Jayne, a RCC canteen hostess. “I learn a lot about our donors and love hearing their interesting stories, as they come from all walks of life. Often times I’ll tell donors to come back on a Tuesday to donate. They also love it when I remember a little tidbit about them the next time round.” Just one of the many volunteer opportunities available at BCP, a canteen host keeps an eye on the health and safety of our blood donors after their donation while serving them refreshments.

“I was giving blood one day, saw the canteen hostess and thought I would like to volunteer as one too,” said Jayne, who has four sons and five grandchildren. “RCC felt like a good place to give back and a great way to socialize.”

A dedicated BCP volunteer since 2008, Jayne, who says volunteering is a “no-brainer since one doesn’t need to do homework,” has already donated more than 183 hours of her time!

A San Francisco State graduate, Jayne used to wear several hats before she retired. She was a floral designer for 20 years with her own business, regional coordinator for Canon, a receptionist, and most proudly, a stay-at-home mother looking after her four sons.

Now, she says volunteering gives her personal satisfaction. “This is a great way to give back if one can’t donate money,” said Jayne. “What more can you ask for? Blood donors are nice people. And to do something nice for them, it’s one of the best things in life.”

BCP thanks Jayne for all her hours of volunteering and great conversations with our donors! Thank you!

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