Red Cross volunteer saves lives with blood donations, disaster response
"I'm 67 and I think people don't realize that you can be out there at this age and make a huge difference," said Randy Miller.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The 6abc Philly Blood Drive brought hundreds of heroes to the Courtyard By Marriott in Wynnefield Heights to donate life-saving blood.
One of them was Randy Miller, a Red Cross volunteer, who responded to a disaster the night before her donation.
"When I found the Red Cross, I knew it was the right place for me," said Miller. She said the 15 minutes it took for her to donate may just be the quietest 15 minutes of her week.
"I was out four times in the past five days supporting people after fires in Philadelphia," she said.
On Tuesday night, the Red Cross volunteer helped three families who lost everything in a fire on the 4900 block of Chestnut Street. It's something she does almost daily with the Red Cross Disaster Action Team.
"That you can volunteer during a pandemic and make a difference is very personal to me," she said.
Mill has spent her career as a psychiatric nurse. She's battled the frontlines of the pandemic in hospitals. And six months ago, she began volunteering with the Red Cross to help people on the streets too.
"I'm 67 and I think people don't realize that you can be out there at this age and make a huge difference," she said.
Always looking for ways to help, she heard of the 2nd annual 6abc Philly Blood Drive and joined the 150 people who registered to donate.
After she leaves, chances are, she'll be called out for another emergency.
"To sit back and be old is not in my DNA, and I encourage more people to give the Red Cross a call," she said.
