By Erica Rose Shannon, American Red Cross

Heroes don’t always wear uniforms or appear on the news. Sometimes, the people we meet each day quietly make a big impact. Jerene Kessler reached her 100^th blood donation milestone and is changing lives one pint at a time.

She began donating when her sister and brother-in-law convinced her to join them at a local American Red Cross blood drive, and she recalls that first experience with joy, saying, “I was always too chicken but they were donating, so I thought I’d give it a try. It went great.”

The Red Cross donor app makes it easy to see the wide-reaching impact of her contributions, alerting her when her donation is shipped to hospitals. “I think it’s interesting, since I have the app, I know it’s helping someone,” says Jerene. This gives her a sense of connection and purpose, reinforcing the importance of each donation.

Jerene describes donating blood as a quick and straightforward process. There’s a short wait—about 15 minutes—for a health screening, and the donation process takes only about 10 minutes. “I’m usually in and out in under an hour,” she explains, emphasizing how easy it is to make a difference quickly.

Jerene’s dedication to donating blood is deeply personal. Her own family, friends, and loved ones have faced health challenges where blood donations were critical, and the Red Cross has hosted blood drives in honor of some of these loved ones. Seeing the direct benefits of blood donations in the lives of those she cares about brings it home for her.

When asked if she knows she’s making a difference, Jerene said; “Oh yes, just to hear stories of friends who almost died if they didn’t have a transfusion. Just knowing that you give, and knowing it’s going somewhere…to me this is the gift from the heart.”

Jerene encourages everyone to donate because even one pint of blood can be the difference between life and death for someone. If you’d like to become a Red Cross blood donor, go to redcrossblood.org to learn more.