“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!

You Are My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine

by Angela Woon, Communications Specialist, sun-chaser, proud Malaysian

I don’t like this weather. I am sure if you live in San Francisco, you’ve heard enough squawking about it from everyone else that you don’t need me to chime in. But I am still going to anyway, because my friends have turned a deaf ear to my complaints.This weather plain stinks! Boots, sweaters and coats in “summer” just don’t cut it for me, especially when I hear of my buddies on the east coast complaining about the heat.

So, I am planning my great escape. Ah….palm trees swaying in the warm breeze, feeling the sun’s rays as I lay on the beach sipping my cool coconut juice. I can almost hear the sun beckoning me. I want to wipe that salty sweat off my brow and show off my pedicured toenails in my flip-flops. That’s what life is like for me back home. Unfortunately, home for me is more than 8,000 miles away in Malaysia. Even after many years in the US, I still get homesick. I not only miss the weather and food, but most acutely, my family. It’s really tough sometimes to be so far from my mummy (yes, I still call her that) and siblings.

I have worked at BCP for a good many years and everyday, I am constantly reminded of just how we should appreciate and cherish our families and loved ones. “Donate blood. You never know when you or someone you love needs it.” strongly resonates with me. I know firsthand what those statements mean. My dad passed away from cancer, my friend’s mother used blood in her battle againstbattled cancer, my friend’s father is sick, my aunt too; sadly, I could go on.

But the list isn’t just limited to my personal life. Through work, there’s many patients I have encountered who’ve used blood. The doting mother whose child needs blood transfusions, the new mother who used hundreds of pints of blood when she met childbirth complications, the husband and father of two who needed blood transfusions and a liver transplant to save his life. I have had the good fortune of meeting many blood donors who’ve shared their personal story on how or why they started donating blood - many do it as a sense of civic duty, but just as many do it simply because they knew of someone who needed it.

The great escape? Won’t happen till December. Until then I will stop squawking about this weather (on the plus side, it saves me money on the pedicures!) and appreciate the warmth of the generosity of the lifesaving heroes who donate blood. That and I hear they are predicting sunshine this weekend!