Nathan Baker has been working with the American Red Cross for decades, serving as a volunteer, employee and blood donor over the years. He officially joined in 1977, as a volunteer with donor resources where he specialized in telemarketing. His strength was quickly determined to be his ability to talk to others.

“So, I like talking and I like being on the phone,” Baker says. “You just had to call people and talk to them and find out when they wanted to give.”

On his first day, Baker says he was able to encourage 23 people to schedule an appointment to give blood. Eight weeks later, he was hired as a Red Cross employee.

“I can only sell something if I really believe in it,” Baker explains. “And I really believe in what the Red Cross does. So it wasn’t a hard sell for me to talk to folks.”

With his success in telemarketing, it’s almost hard to believe that there was once concern about his volunteer status, as he is visually impaired which made reading a problem and he didn’t drive. But Nathan proved there are ways for everyone to contribute to the Red Cross mission.

“After they hired me, the state of Tennessee repossessed an enlarger,” Baker says.
“I no longer had to push a magnifying glass across a ruler. With the enlarger, I can sit and use a TV monitor and you put things under the camera and it makes it larger.”

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy. With almost 50 years of service, Baker has shown how his passion for the American Red Cross and its mission has helped alleviate human suffering and save lives.

“I just believe in what we do,” Baker says. “Our universality, our neutrality, which we consider very sacred. That we’re there for everybody, regardless of who they are.”

Baker says the Red Cross made accommodations for his visual impairment over the years and says all employers can be more inclusive to workers with disabilities by focusing on their strengths.

“The funny thing is, I’m the person who has traveled 200,000 miles and I don’t drive,” Baker explains. “I’m the person who supervises our Hall of Fame plaques and I can’t read the name on the plaque. So reasonable accommodations are that I have volunteers do that. And it makes my job easier to supervise the job and make sure we get it done.”

Baker is currently volunteering and working with interns from Big Picture High School to update the Hall of Fame plaques for donors who have reached big blood donation milestones. But when asked about his favorite role during his time at the Red Cross, he says it was going into classrooms and educating students on blood and the importance of blood donation. He enjoyed “standing in front of a class, being the ‘Blood Guy’ from the Red Cross.”

To search for opportunities to make a difference with the American Red Cross, visit redcross.org/careers.