by Rick Payne

For more than 30 years, patients at the David Grant U.S. Air Force Medical Center’s McClellan Outpatient Satellite Clinic have received a warm greeting from David McCullough as they entered the premises. Since August 1993, Darryl has volunteered with the Red Cross at the clinic every week Monday through Friday. Medical center personnel call him the “face of the clinic.”

Darryl greets and talks with patients at the front desk and often escorts them to their appointments in the building. To ensure it’s a welcoming space for all visitors, he goes above and beyond to sanitize the waiting area and conference rooms. In addition, Darryl helps the administrative department with tasks such as copying and sorting papers.

Darryl’s positive attitude and rapport with colleagues and patients have brightened the clinic’s environment. One of Darryl’s supervisors, Master Sergeant Michael Lopez, had this to say about Darryl: “I see Darryl sometimes with patients who have known him for a long time. You can see the joy and happiness when they’re interacting with him. He makes the patient feel like part of the family. Every morning, when Darryl comes in, he goes around to say hi to all the staff at the clinic. If they don’t see Darryl at 9 o’clock, they come by and ask, ‘What’s up with Darryl?’ He makes a difference.”

Both community and military service run in Darryl’s family: his father retired from the U.S. Air Force and his sister currently serves in the Air Force. While Darryl was unable to follow in their footsteps, he views volunteering at the clinic as his way of giving back to the service. His Christian faith and the camaraderie at the clinic inspire him to do what he does. Darryl doesn’t see himself retiring anytime soon, either, as he really enjoys the work.

When asked about volunteering with the Red Cross, Darryl said: “You get satisfaction knowing that you’re helping people. You don’t get a paycheck, but you are rewarded in different ways. You give your time knowing that you are doing something valuable.”

Thank you for your time and dedication to both the Red Cross and patients at the clinic. We are grateful for your service, Darryl!