By Tana Kelley, Northwest Region

For Dr. Ellen Wirtz, service with the American Red Cross is not a new chapter in her life. It is a continuation of a story that began decades ago.

Long before the volunteer work she does now, her connection to the Red Cross started with a simple nudge from a friend.“I had a best friend in nursing who went to work for the Red Cross and encouraged me to join.” 

In 1994, she began working as a field charge nurse in Montana. Her job centered on a specific and deeply personal type of care: helping patients prepare for surgery by collecting their own blood in advance, a process known as autologous donation.

“I drew blood for people wanting to receive their own blood for a planned surgery,” she explained.

At the time, that work carried a particular weight. In the early years of widespread concern around blood safety, many patients found comfort in knowing they could rely on their own donated blood during medical procedures.

Dr. Wirtz understood that reassurance firsthand.

Earlier in her career, she had cared for one of the first HIV-positive patients in a Seattle hospital. The experience shaped her perspective on the importance of trust, safety and peace of mind in medical care.

“It was very important to those folks to be worry-free about the blood they received,” she recalled.

Her years with the Red Cross in the 1990s were meaningful, both professionally and personally. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time,” she said. “I like their philanthropic philosophy.”

After four years with the Red Cross, she continued her nursing career, eventually retiring after decades of service in healthcare.

But her connection to the Red Cross never faded. Years later, she found herself in a position familiar to many retirees: wondering how to give back.

“I wanted to return,” she said. “I knew the Red Cross as a reliable, sturdy organization.”

Now, she volunteers once a week, taking on a very different role from her days in the field. On Wednesday mornings, she helps process financial donations — opening mail, logging contributions and ensuring funds are properly recorded and sent along.

It is quieter work, but no less meaningful. “I have the satisfaction of giving back to somebody, or somebodies,” she said.

Through this role, she sees a different side of generosity, one that continues to move her.

“I am absolutely humbled,” Dr. Wirtz said. “When I open an envelope and there’s a $5 bill and two $1 bills in it, I wonder if this is the most that this person could give. A small amount, but very heart touching.”  

Those small, tangible acts of kindness reflect the same spirit she witnessed decades ago in blood donors and patients alike.

Now, with a lifetime of experience behind her, her message to others is simple. “Anyone can make a difference.”

Whether through donating blood or donating time, her journey shows that service is not confined to a single moment in time. It evolves, adapts and continues, often in unexpected ways.

For Dr. Ellen Wirtz, her commitment has come full circle. And like the donations she now helps process each week, she knows even the smallest act can carry lasting impact.