To commemorate Black History Month, we’re celebrating Red Crossers and how they’re making a difference in the mission.

Throughout his 30-year career in public transportation, Jay Gardiner rode the bus system to and from work. It was during those rides that would lead him to the American Red Cross to continue his passion in community service.

Gardiner met a fellow rider who happened to be a Red Cross volunteer and the two engaged in a number of conversations during their travels. What piqued Gardiner’s interest were the stories the volunteer shared about his experiences as a member of the Disaster Action Team (DAT) in the Southeast Michigan Chapter and being deployed to national disasters including Hurricane Katrina.Gardiner joined the Red Cross as a volunteer in 2014, two years before retiring as a public transportation planner for the SMART public transit system.

This May he will celebrate his 10-year anniversary as a Red Cross volunteer. Today, he is a DAT supervisor, and he recently completed training in shelter supervision and disaster assessment.

“It has been very rewarding,” Gardiner said of his volunteerism. “I enjoy the camaraderie of my fellow volunteers and staff. I like being able to help people who really need it and being able give them a lit bit of hope as they embark on their recovery from these disasters.”

Being part of a mission-based organization is part of Gardiner’s DNA. Before joining the Red Cross, he was a volunteer tutor and board member at a local literacy organization for 20 years.  

“It is fulfilling for me to be able to help people,” he said. “The Red Cross had been something on my mind for a long time.”

In his role with the DAT team, Gardiner provides comfort and care to individuals and families displaced by home fires and other emergencies. After a home fire, the Red Cross works with the local fire department to connect with families for needs like emergency lodging, emotional support and financial assistance. These services are free, courtesy of donations to the Red Cross.

Gardiner recalled the story of a young single mother and her daughter who were displaced by a fire that destroyed their apartment. Lost in the rubble were new school supplies and clothing the mother had bought for the start of her daughter’s new school year.A day or two later, Gardiner received a text from the mother who thanked him for the financial assistance the Red Cross provided to replace the lost supplies and clothing.There is also the story of a young boy Gardiner met at a Red Cross emergency shelter. Sensing the boy was bored by the temporary accommodations, Gardiner lifted his spirits with a game of chess.

“We try and give our clients hope and help them be comfortable in a situation as much of possible,” Gardiner said. “When we tell them the things the Red Cross can do for them, and listen to what they have to say, you can sometimes see their mood changing and they start to have a glimmer of hope.”

By David Olejarz, Regional Communications Director