“When I first applied here, I didn’t really understand what the Red Cross was. I found that after working here for a few years, this is where I would prefer to spend the rest of my career.” -Tesha Moore
Tesha Moore started working for the American Red Cross at the age of 19. She is a collections team supervisor in the Illinois region, who regularly travels to different blood drive locations. We caught up with her at the blood and platelet donation center in Bloomington.
“I enjoy traveling and actually, prefer to travel,” Tesha said. “I like meeting new people all the time; being able to be supportive and communicate with our donors and build relationships with them is nice.”
As part of her role, Tesha gets to speak with donors as they arrive at the blood drives. Sometimes, donors are a little hesitant. Tesha reassures them, and says she enjoys the interactions with donors.
“I really enjoy seeing people I got to meet come back and become repeat donors, especially young people,” Tesha said. “We need the younger generation to donate. I like going to a high school blood drive and then seeing the students coming out in the future to donate blood.”
Tesha encourages everyone to give blood. Her role with the Red Cross has given her a firsthand look at the importance of donating blood, and she is a strong advocate for rolling up a sleeve.
“I always think about it like, ‘What if my family member had to go to the hospital and needed blood and there wasn’t any available?’ You just don’t know what your day-to-day life holds, and you could be the one who needs blood one day. So, it’s really just a simple task we can do as humans to donate blood – especially, because only three percent of the community donates.” -Tesha Moore
Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Tesha! Visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment – you just might see Tesha while you’re there.
Written by Illinois Region Communications Manager Brian Williamsen
“Statistics show everybody will know somebody who received blood once in their lifetime. We never know what can happen, and the blood need doesn’t stop – patients still have cancer, burn victims are still in the hospital. The only way we can source blood is through volunteer donors.” -Ellen Emerick
Ellen Emerick is a district manager for the American Red Cross biomedical team in the Illinois region. She is also a member of Heart of Illinois Blue Star Mothers. Her son, Joe Mickels, is a gas turbine systems technician for the U.S. Navy, and he has served our country for six years.
“If we have a new mom who has one of her children that just got deployed, what a great resource to have other moms who have been there and understand and can give them resources, or point them to the Red Cross. It’s a fantastic group of moms who understand,” she says. “I’m really proud to be a Blue Star Mother and to work for the Red Cross.”
Blue Star Mothers and the U.S. Coast Guard are teaming up to host the “Hometown Heroes” blood drive at 101 Holiday St in East Peoria from 1-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4 in an effort to help bolster the blood supply, and show support to military, emergency services, hospital staff or even neighbors who are there to lend a hand.
Click here to sign up to donate blood at this event.
Ellen says, “This is just another way we can support and honor our local hometown heroes. It’s vital to donate blood.”
Karen Frazier is the Heart of Illinois Blue Star Mothers chapter president. Her son, Christopher served as a specialist in the U.S. Army for four years, including nine months in Afghanistan.
Karen says, “It was my worst nine months, and I needed to find something for camaraderie. No one knows what you go through like another mother. It’s nice to have somebody you can lean on and show you it’s going to be ok. We support each other.”
In addition to supporting each other, her organization supports the mission of the Red Cross.
“I’ve been a blood donor since 1984. It just makes sense – there’s no reason for us not to do it, because we’re moms and this is a way to give back to our community in a bigger, broader aspect. If you can save a life through blood, why wouldn’t you do that?” -Karen Frazier
Thank you for rolling up a sleeve in honor of your hero. Each blood donation could save a life!
Written by Illinois Region Communications Manager Brian Williamsen
“I can’t think of any place in the city where we haven’t done a live shot.”
Manooch Shadnia points to the familiar places among the city streets of Chicago as friend and colleague Jackie Denn navigates the Red Cross car through traffic.
“I may not remember the stories….” He laughs and trails off his thought. After nearly 40 years each as news photographers, the people behind the camera at Chicago’s ABC-7 station, they’ve both covered nearly every type of story imaginable in the Windy City including many late-nights covering various elections over the years. Between assignments and deadlines, they also struck up a life-long friendship along the way.
Jackie started working at a small TV station at Michigan State as a studio camera person before coming to ABC-7 in 1980. Born in Iran, Manooch came to America in 1977 and joined the staff at ABC-7 in 1982. For decades they were reliable and creative members of the well-known news team bringing coverage of current events and moments of history to local news viewers. Then in 2019, they both decided it was time to hang up the microphone and put the camera away one last time.
After a fond farewell from their team, they are fully embracing their lives in retirement. Even with their days now filled with hobbies, family time and fun, Jackie and Manooch still managed to find just enough space in their new lives to give a little bit back.
Jackie got started right away volunteering with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Lakeview Food Pantry, and even as an election judge. But after many years at ABC-7 she couldn’t ignore the partnership and incredible event created through the ABC-7 Great Chicago Blood Drive with the Red Cross. In its 8 years, thousands of units of blood have been collected. So it seemed like the perfect place to start as a Red Cross volunteer; helping with the blood drive and bringing Manooch along as well.
“I thought the Red Cross seemed like a great organization to volunteer for,” Jackie said.
Manooch stepped out of the news van and onto a bicycle for his retirement riding many miles a day as a “long hauler,” and enjoying other sports like snow shoeing- thanks to a new set of snowshoes gifted by Jackie. He also has a goal of running a marathon in a different state each month. Manooch has already crossed Louisiana, Illinois and Indiana off the list among others.
Volunteering at the Great Chicago Blood Drive wasn’t enough though, and soon Jackie realized there was more that needed to be done. She started volunteering as a Red Cross Biomedical Transportation Specialist, basically the drivers who take the blood products from the Red Cross to the hospitals that need them. After covering many health and medical stories over the years and getting familiar with the area hospitals, it sounded like the ideal fit.
It was.
Jackie quickly picked up the responsibilities of the volunteer role and was hitting the road each week. The shifts start in the morning picking up the blood in big, insulated boxes from the Greater Chicago headquarters, determining the route to the hospitals and hand delivering the boxes to the blood banks within them. Her role as a volunteer Biomedical Transportation Specialist plays a critical role in the process of getting donated blood to the people who need it.
“It’s a meaningful thing to do with my time,” she said.
Enjoying the experience and interactions with the other volunteers and hospital staff, she thought, “I think Manooch might like this.” She recruited her old work buddy to join her in the job, and they were reunited on the road once again. After Jackie showed Manooch the ropes a few times, they’re now covering the routes several days a week for the Greater Chicago chapter, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city and staying connected to the downtown area in the process.
“I’m proud to do this,” Manooch said. “When we arrive at the blood banks sometimes someone is waiting for that blood which means someone’s life depends on it.”
Even with separate scheduled days, occasionally they’ll tag along on each other’s routes and reminisce about the news days behind them, and the open road ahead of them.
American Red Cross of Illinois 