Blood Transportation Specialist Barbara Steinmetz realizes her job can be stressful, “and it isn’t for everyone,” she admits cheerfully. That’s because driving lifesaving blood from the Red Cross Las Vegas Distribution Site to hospital blood banks across the area is a critical job, with blood needing to remain at a constant temperature to stay viable. There’s also the fact that timely delivery can be the difference between life and death.

But Barbara doesn’t want to discourage any potential new volunteer drivers with the ominous description. “The ideal blood services transportation specialist volunteer candidate is simply someone who loves to drive!” she assures. In Barb’s case, however, she’s much more than a driver who loves it. She’s also a trainer for new volunteer drivers. Plus, she serves as team leader. “[I] keep in contact with other volunteers and managing the shifts and hours in our online scheduling system.”

Barb recalls that she had always been impressed with how the Red Cross supports the community, but “I really became interested in volunteering after the October 1, 2017, mass casualty shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. That’s when I saw the multiple ways the Red Cross helped heal our city -- hours after the tragedy and for many months beyond. I thought, ‘I want to be part of that organization,’ and I identified a role behind the wheel that I knew I would enjoy.”

COVID-19 safety procedures have been a new challenge this year for the enthusiastic volunteer. “We have to be more aware of our personal safety, and there have been some changes in hospital delivery procedures as well,” she reports. “We wear masks and gloves, and we have our temperature checked both in the distribution site as well as the hospitals.”
Some hospitals have even altered the delivery location to ensure drivers are temperature checked and questioned before they enter. “All these procedures and processes have made me feel very safe in continuing my duties,” she stresses, and she wants to pass on those assurances.

“It’s crucial that the Red Cross prevents a shortage or delay of blood during the pandemic,” she stresses. “My team members and I know that our precious lifesaving cargo has to reach its destination -- so the wheels have to keep turning.”