#FeatureFriday May Giulitto, SAF

  

Our work with Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) at Fort Knox is remarkable. At the heart of the work is the volunteers who exude kindness and goodwill. Leading these volunteers fearlessly is none other than May Giulitto, our SAF Director. 

Anyone who knows her would probably describe May as relentless, welcoming, and witty. “Wherever the Red Cross was, it was always near and dear to my heart,” said May. May is a retired military dietician, doing 6 years active duty. She met her husband, Colonel Dean Giulitto, while serving. Dean served for 30 years as a family practice doctor. Both of their children are in the military as well.

May would volunteer at Red Cross clinics, hospitals, or blood drives wherever Dean was stationed. They moved to Fort Knox close to his retirement, and that’s where her journey as a director began. “I went to the Red Cross here. I wanted to see what they had… There was really nothing being offered but emergency messages. This job came open and they encouraged me to apply,” said May.

She recognized the need for innovation, stating, “We must make this a place where people will come and gather and volunteer. There’s no program for them to volunteer for, except for casework.” May’s mind was racing with ideas, and she decided to revamp.

Her first idea was Santa’s Workshop. “At Fort Hood, I helped with Santa’s Workshop. That was over 3,000 kids,” May replied. The mission of Santa’s Workshop is to provide toys for military families who are financially insecure during the holiday season. With a little assistance from workshop elves, soldiers and spouses shop our inventory to find items for their children.

The Helping Hands Food Pantry and Lending Closet were inspired by her volunteers. The food pantry is a drive thru stop for groceries and essential items. The lending closet is household appliances and dishes. “My volunteers will tell me there’s a huge need. And I say let’s do it. All of this is because of volunteers,” said May.

Warrior Warehouse was created through conversations with May and another volunteer. It’s a program for active duty E6 and below to shop on the last Thursday of every month. Over the weekend, veterans and retirees have a shopping day. It’s a warehouse full of essentials from clothing, hygiene items, furniture, and baby car seats. “We see a lot of young soldiers that don’t have a lot. They don’t have family that supports them. We’re here to help,” May commented.

The final program initiated offers business attire to retirees. “I had my volunteer come to me. She said we need this program for retirees. We need suits for them to go to job interviews. When I got out of the military, I had no civilian clothes,” said May. In partnership with Heroes Care, May and her volunteers were able to secure 400-500 name brand suits for men and women to wear to job interviews. There’s currently closets full of suits, dresses, shoes, and jewelry to help retirees feel prepared for the next phase of their life.

“Red Cross in a lot of military bases only does casework. I feel like our Red Cross in Kentucky has supported more soldiers that are financially insecure,” said May. “We have all these programs. And each program supports soldiers who are in need. But it also provides our military families a place to give back and volunteer. We also support the other side: veterans and retirees. Not just here on base, but anyone within a 100-mile radius of Fort Knox.”

While she wants all the spotlight on the volunteers for their work, the reality is May is a key reason that SAF in Kentucky thrives. She had a vision of a blossoming Red Cross at Fort Knox, and she’s achieved that and more. #ServicetotheArmedForces #MilitaryFamilyAppreciationMonth #VeteransDay

Blood Donor Spotlight: Angela McGinnis

Angela, left, standing with Donitra Gray,
Red Cross Collections Charge Nurse

Angela McGinnis has been a blood donor since she was in high school. “I try to do my civic duty and give back to the community… I probably donate twice a year,” said Angela. She expressed that you never know when you might be the one who needs blood. “[Blood] is not something you can make. That’s the only way you can get it is if people donate.”

Donating blood is personal for Angela, as her husband, brother and mom have needed blood transfusions. “Lots of people in my family have had medical issues… My husband had bleeding ulcers. My mom needed a transfusion when she had stomach issues. My brother has diverticulitis. He bled so bad once that he needed a pint of blood,” said Angela. She also knows someone with Sickle Cell disease. “We know as a minority it usually takes somebody in the same ethnic group to get a match,” she said.

Angela wants to encourage people to come out and give. “Donating blood is not as bad as people think. It doesn’t take much time. If not to help yourself, do it to help other people. You never know when it could be you in the hospital.”

Thank you for sharing your story, Angela! Find a blood drive in your area by going to redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

National Blood Collectors Week: Sydney Boyd

During the pandemic, Sydney Boyd decided to change her career and learn something new. “I already had my Bachelor’s degree. I wanted to find something I could be certified for. I went to the Kentucky School of Phlebotomy and took a 6-week course there,” said Sydney. She explained that healthcare never stops and that there’s always a need for a phlebotomist, nurse, or doctor.

Sydney has been on our team for almost 2 years. She is a Collections Specialist I and floats between our Louisville fixed donation centers. She is a natural with people, making them feel seen. Sydney commented on a grateful blood donor, saying, “There was a donor, she was in her early 70’s. At the end of her donation, she touched my arm and said, ‘you have such a calm presence and I love it. You don’t make me feel nervous.”

Another blood donor complimented Sydney’s professionalism and attention to detail. “He was quiet at the beginning. At the end, he said ‘I’m a physician’s assistant. I just wanted you to know you did everything perfectly, from disposing of waste to changing your gloves.’ That made me feel really good,” said Sydney.

Sydney loves spending time with her friends and family. She is big on mental health and tells those in her life that they can always talk to her and seek help when they need it. “Some of my friends call me their guardian angel or saving grace,” said Sydney. She loves working at the Red Cross because she knows she is always saving lives.

We are so thankful to have such an empathetic and wonderful team member! We know you will continue to make a positive impact, Sydney! #NationalBloodCollectorsWeek

National Blood Collectors Week: Tramel Ingram

It’s National Blood Collectors Week, and today we are spotlighting Tramel Ingram! Tramel is a Collections Specialist I, working at our Hubbards Lane east end location in Louisville. “It will be 11 years with the Red Cross on September 17^th,” said Tramel. “I started off on the road with blood drives as a Specialist II. I did that for 4 and a half years.”

Tramel is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and received her degree from Jefferson Community & Technical College. One of her favorite memories is helping a blood donor through their fear of donating. “She was very nervous. I helped her calm down and eased her spirit. I gave her some calming techniques and encouraged her to take deep breaths,” said Tramel. The blood donor needed surgery a few weeks later. “Right before her surgery, she came back in with a dozen roses for me. She really appreciated me making her feel comfortable,” said Tramel.

Outside of Red Cross, Tramel continues to impact people with her nursing skills. “I work at a methadone clinic. I enjoy helping others. My heart goes out to people, and I hate to see people suffer,” she said. “I’ve seen some success stories there. And some not so good. It’s heart wrenching when people are trying, and they fall by the wayside.” Tramel has been helping at the clinic for 5 years.

In her free time, Tramel loves to spend time with her family. She’s a twin and has 2 sons and 2 grandbabies. She is a Mary Kay consultant, loves to shop and go to church. When talking about her job at Red Cross, she says simply, “I love what I do. I love people.”

National Blood Collectors Week: Savannah Cooper

Sept. 3-9 is National Blood Collectors Week, a time we celebrate the work and contributions of our blood collections team in supporting hospital patient care.

Meet Savanna Cooper! Savanna started with Red Cross last year. “I started giving platelets and got recruited by staff members,” she said. Savanna loves working with her team, saying “I always know that I’m doing something good. I’m always helping.”

Savanna is a Collections Charge Nurse. Her favorite memory involved helping a woman who was grieving the loss of her husband. “Her husband had passed away about a month prior. They used to donate blood together,” said Savanna. “It was good for her because she wanted to keep giving blood to honor him, but it was also hard because she was alone all of a sudden.” Savanna was with the blood donor during a difficult time and provided her comfort. 

Savanna has 3 dogs and loves to get outside to kayak and hike. “I love to sit and have a good book and tea,” she said. Savanna is looking forward to the next few months as she’s getting married to her fiancé, Tory, in October. Help us congratulate Savanna and thank her for her lifesaving work! #NationalBloodCollectorsWeek