Donor Profile - John Small

Written by: Tonia Callender, volunteer

For John Small, making yearly donations to the Red Cross is second nature.  It is a habit that started in 1934, when John was in the second grade at Hayattsville, Elementary School in Maryland.  His school had a “Red Cross Day” where the students learned about the Organization’s history and activities.   Everyone was asked to bring in two cents to support the Organization.   John left school that day with a very positive image of the Red Cross, and he wanted to help.  For John’s family, finding the extra money to give to the Red Cross was a challenge, yet his mom managed to save the money.  That year, Johan proudly made his first donation.  The next year, John contributed three cents to his school’s effort and earned his first Red Cross pin.  John remembers how special he and his classmates felt when they earned that pin.   “We felt so honored to be recognized.”

As he grew up, contributing some money to the Red Cross became a tradition for John.  His service overseas during World War II gave him first hand knowledge of some of the Organization’s activities.   A member of the U.S. Navy, John traveled to different port where Red Cross volunteers welcomed him and his fellow sailors.  When he got back home, those memories stayed with him, and he continued to donate annually.

John’s motivation for his yearly donations has been the chance to help an organization that he admires:  “The Red Cross is a good group, so whenever I have a chance to chip in, I do.”  He intends to continue his 80-year tradition as long as he can.