National Volunteer Week: Meet Blood Donor Ambassador Marilyn Davis

By Samantha Miller

Marilyn Davis of Hartford County sees the good in people and values making authentic connections. These qualities shine through her many careers, from being a stenographer to a secret shopper, to a customer service operator for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to a social worker. Now, she is using that sense of good for good.

After living in New York for most of her life, Marilyn retired and moved to Connecticut. She started her volunteer journey working in human services at a local town hall. It was during this time that she started to notice that the American Red Cross was frequently mentioned on the news.

“At that time, I knew the Red Cross helped with blood. I didn’t realize how helpful they are in all the situations that go on with people,” recalled Marilyn. “I said you know what, I want to be a part of this. I like this. I like the fact that I could help someone and give back to the community.” She has been a volunteer with the Red Cross of Connecticut since 2019 and hasn’t looked back.

When she first joined the Red Cross, Marilyn volunteered by making phone calls. Because she spent a great deal of her career in customer service, this felt familiar to her. “But that didn’t give me the one on one that I was looking for. I wanted to be with the people,” she said.

Soon enough, Marilyn started volunteering her time as the Blood Donor Ambassador she is today. In this role, she greets blood donors, helps them check in and answers any questions they may have about giving blood. “Sometimes when you do a job like this, you get immediate satisfaction, because you get immediate feedback from people. When I ask how they (the donors) are doing, they’re always willing to talk to me.”

Marilyn is making true connections with her community. Blood donors often remember her when they see her in public. “You’d be surprised. At the grocery store or wherever, someone will say ‘I know you from somewhere.’ I know they know me from one or two places: Pickleball or the American Red Cross.”

That’s right—in Marilyn’s spare time when she isn’t serving our humanitarian mission, she is serving on the pickleball court three times a week in the Hartford County area. Marilyn says this is another great way to build community. But when she does her blood drives, she knows pickleball must take a backseat for the day. She says her work with the Red Cross comes first. “The immediate gratification you’d get from helping someone—there are no words to describe it.”

Marilyn says there is always room for growth at the Red Cross. “It’s not boring. Every time you go to a blood drive, it’s a different experience for me.” Marilyn is considering taking advantage of the opportunities within the organization and training to serve on the Disaster Action Team. In this role, she would bring support and comfort to those experiencing home fires. “I see the disaster team doing that one-on-one, and I’m thinking I might challenge myself a little bit.” Marilyn says she may even consider training to be deployed to a national disaster someday.

“I hope to continue doing this for a while.”

Grow and flourish at the Red Cross by joining our team of nearly 1,600 volunteers this spring. Explore opportunities at redcross.org/volunteertoday.