By Isabel Anderson, Regional Communications Manager

A lot has changed in 60 years; milk was $1 per gallon and your average loaf of bread was 22 cents. However, throughout the decades, Elaine Yearsley and Ginny Greiner have remained an inspiring constant at the Red Cross. Six decades ago and four years apart, Elaine and Ginny embarked on their amazing Red Cross journey. Together, they make up 124 years (and counting) of dedicated service.

When they began volunteering, the two didn’t know each other but met when they both started volunteering at blood drives in Albany, OR and now this pair volunteers together whenever they get the chance. On an unsuspecting Friday afternoon, we surprised them with their 60 year pins – something that has never been awarded before in the Cascades Region.

Ginny’s connection to the Red Cross began when she worked as a hospital nurse. “I had a patient who was using blood products and she got me started” Ginny recalls. Witnessing the urgent need firsthand kickstarted Ginny’s lifesaving adventure with the Red Cross. She even got her family involved, “I got my brother started, we were in competition for a long time”.

The connections she makes along the way have been especially rewarding, “It’s fun when you get to know the donors. They’ll pull out their phones and show you their grandchild!”. It’s no surprise Ginny is quick to make new friends. With Ginny’s comforting presence, she’s found that all it takes to get new blood donors in the door is “a little encouragement and they’ll come in and donate”.

As Elaine reflects back on these six decades as a volunteer, she notes that the Red Cross not only gave her an opportunity to help others but also an opportunity to grown as an individual. She described herself as a child, “I never used to talk to anybody I wouldn’t because I was shy and bashful […] hiding in a corner, I’m not good enough, I’m not smart enough” but this feeling completely changed when Elaine put herself out there to welcome blood donors. Elaine explains, “I’ve helped myself in so many ways being able to communicate with people”. What keeps Elaine coming back? As she puts it, “Well I love it or else I wouldn’t be here!”.

It’s easy to see the amount of love that surrounds Ginny and Elaine. While presenting the awards, their Red Cross friends watched with joy. The floods of comments under a social media post celebrating the two women show even more lives Ginny and Elaine have impacted.

To volunteers of all ages, Elaine’s advice is simple: “Go for it. Do anything you can to help anybody else and grow yourself in your own ways”.

Your Red Cross journey can begin today. Visit RedCross.Org/Volunteer to learn more.