By: Evan Peterson
As a Delta Air Lines international flight attendant for more than 44-years, Adine Mable-Lee always felt grounded in her work at 30,000 feet.
“You’re helping people, you’re assisting where you’re needed, and you’re just trying to make them feel at home,” she said of the countless travelers she encountered.
But when it came time for her to retire from working in the clouds, Mabel-Lee found herself homeward bound with the desire to continue serving others. Her obvious passion for hospitality led her to help with blood drives at her church in Atlanta, and ultimately to the American Red Cross, where she now volunteers as a Blood Donor Ambassador.
“I enjoy the interactions with people and just seeing that there is something coming out of this,” said Mable Lee, who credits her volunteer work at blood drives for feeling optimistic that “People will have life.”
One of her first significant Blood Donor Ambassador appearances was, coincidentally, with the organization that helped ignite her passion for service. In November, she enjoyed registering Delta employees at their blood drive in the Delta Flight Museum – her first time back since retirement.
Since then, she’s also helped at many other corporate and community blood drives in the metro area, still mirroring the responsibilities of a flight attendant in her new Ambassador role by setting up and maintaining a clean and welcoming reception area, registering blood donors, and explaining the process; managing the canteen area with snacks and drinks, and checking on the well-being of her customers.
Mabel-Lee likes arriving early to get everything laid out, wiped down, and the canteen ready. “I am making them feel comfortable when they are there, so they are more willing to come back,” she said.
As the pandemic moves forward, this Ambassador makes it a priority to get the word out about the need for blood and platelet donations. More specifically, encouraging donors to roll up their sleeves and get in the chair.
“I think a lot of times we need to share the word with family and friends,” reasons Mable-Lee. “They’ll start coming in and they will tell others…”
As with every good host, when a guest turns to leave, Mable-Lee thanks them for stopping by. And in this case, as a Blood Donor Ambassador, she thanks them for giving the gift of life and encourages them to come back soon.
“I’m just a simple person wanting to give back because I’ve been so blessed,” she says. “You always have to thank them because you’re not entitled. People give out of the goodness of their heart.”
To learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer, please visit redcross.org/volunteer. To make an appointment to donate blood to help hospital patients, visit RedCrossBlood.org.