Red Cross honors local volunteers
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on September 17, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Makayla Newcomb, 10, gets snacks ready to serve to donors in the canteen after they have given blood. The youngest volunteer with the Wayne County chapter of the Red Cross received a Children's Presidential Bronze Award.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Roberto Mendoza unloads supplies from a Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross vehicle to store at 3MC until needed for disaster relief. This is one of the reasons that Mendoza received the Presidential Call to Service Award.
Makayla Newcomb can be found at a lot of Wayne County's blood drives, signing donors in at the door and giving out snacks and drinks after they've given blood. She never stands around asking what she should do, but just pitches in and does what needs to be done.
The other volunteers are amazed that the 10-year-old knows her duties as well as any adult.
Makayla was one of several local volunteers with the Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross to recently receive chapter awards, as well as presidential awards. She was presented the Children's Presidential Bronze Award. And Makayla and her mother, who volunteers with her daughter at blood drives, received the chapter's Donald Best Blood Service Volunteer of the Year Award.
Other award recipients were Roberto Mendoza, Presidential Call to Service Award; pastor Jimmy Bryant, Presidential Gold Award; Cheryl White, Presidential Gold Award and the chapter's Mary C. Norwood Volunteer of the Year Award; Bill Hewitt, Presidential Call to Service Award; and Phillip Sexton, the chapter's Dora Perry Disaster Volunteer of the Year Award.
The Children's Bronze Award is for 50 to 74 hours of service. The President's Call to Service Award is for 4,000 or more hours of service. The Presidential Gold Award is for 500 or more hours of service.
Makayla started volunteering with the Red Cross three years ago after doing a community service project there with her homeschool group.
"Volunteering at the Red Cross is something I keep doing because I like it," Makayla said. "Sometimes I am a greeter and sometimes I volunteer in the canteen. It makes me feel good to help somebody."
Her mother Dina said when people come to the blood drives, they are usually shocked to see someone as young as Makayla volunteering.
When Makayla's name was called for the Children's Presidential Bronze Award, the youngster was shocked because she had no idea she was getting an award.
Mendoza, 66, has volunteered with the Red Cross for 34 years.
"I stay with the Red Cross because I believe in it," he said. "It makes me feel good to help people. I think it's always been in me to do this."
Mendoza goes out on disasters, sometimes taking the chapter's Emergency Response Vehicle to use as a mobile feeding unit, sometimes taking cleanup supplies to disaster victims.
And he keeps both the ERV and chapter vehicle in good running condition by frequently checking the fluids.
He's also a member of the Disaster Action Team, responding when there's been a hurricane, tornado, flood or house fire.
He, too, was surprised when he got his award.
"I didn't know I was getting it," he said. "And I don't do this for an award."
Sexton has been part of the two-man Disaster Action Team for almost two years. And he's a CPR/first aid instructor.
"It's just an honor to be able to serve this community and know I'm helping somebody in their time of crisis," the 38-year-old said. "I take joy and pleasure in doing that."
Red Cross chief executive officer Tammy Forrester said each volunteer is different.
"They all bring something different to the table," she said. "They all have multiple talents under their umbrella."
Mrs. Forrester said it's volunteers like these who help the Red Cross achieve its goal of having 93 cents of every dollar raised go to help people.
"They do it from their heart," she said. "It's important that the public knows that the Red Cross could not do all it does without volunteers, people like these who got these awards."