Laurie Laidlaw Deacon’s Red Cross Story
“My Red Cross journey started when I was asked to join the Board of Directors at my local Red Cross in Cleveland, Ohio.”
Soon after joining the Board, Laurie received a surprise package from her mother; a vintage Red Cross pin, dating back to WWI. “My great grandmother was British and crocheted Red Cross helmet inserts for troops during WWI and WWII.” Laurie also vividly remembers the Red Cross blankets her grandmother and mother kept after losing their home to a fire.
A dedicated volunteer leader and blood transfusion recipient herself, Laurie represents the fourth generation of women in her family with a personal connection to the American Red Cross.
Reflecting on her time as a volunteer and donor, Laurie said, "The whole journey has been amazing. It started at a lunch in 1999. The Red Cross is such an embracing and inclusive organization. You’re never alone!”
Laurie Laidlaw Deacon is a member of the Tiffany Circle National Council, a community of women committed to advancing our mission through gifts of time, talent and treasure.