DI resident receives national American Red Cross award for excellence

Because of her myriad of contributions to the Palmetto S.C. Region of the American Red Cross, Daniel Island resident Sandy Klein was recently selected to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence, making her the first person from the Lowcountry to ever receive the national honor.

“Sandy is a dedicated, full-time volunteer,” said Cuthbert Langley, director of communications for the Palmetto S.C. Region. “Her endless supply of passion and innovation is motivating, not only to me, but to everyone she meets. She is dedicated to our mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering.”

One out of about 25 around the country to receive the award each year, Klein was shocked, she explained, simply because she had no idea she was nominated.

“When they told me, I think I was overwhelmed,” said Klein. “I didn’t have a comment. I didn’t even fully grasp what it was.”

Klein has been volunteering with the area Red Cross for a little over six years. Her contributions include serving on the Lowcountry Chapter’s Board of Directors, being a passionate member of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign and a generous donor (she contributed money to purchase a new emergency response vehicle and a new bloodmobile).

“I have a criteria by which I decide to become involved with an organization and that is that the bulk of the dollar given goes to the programs,” said Klein. “For the Red Cross, 91 cents of every dollar goes to our programs. That’s important to me from a donor standpoint. From a volunteer standpoint it’s an important quality to know that services to those in need are our primary concern. That’s what my concern is. I want to be helpful and want to keep people who are in need safe.”

For Klein, one of the main aspects of volunteering that keeps her so drawn to the organization is being able to share special moments with those she and the Red Cross are helping.

“I think that by volunteering, you become engaged and more productive, and I think as a human, more happier from being involved,” said Klein. “There’s a great deal of gratification that you get when you help someone. There’s rewards that are absolutely beyond words. They’re totally experiential and those moments of gratification elevate you as a person.”

One of her fondest memories coincidentally did not happen while volunteering, Klein explained. Although, without the training she received from the Red Cross, it would not have been possible.

“Going back several years, I had just completed my Red Cross on CPR and First Aid,” she said. “I was driving on 526 and I was behind a car that suddenly lost control and spun out…I stopped. Now mind you, I’ve been driving around for 70 plus years and never stopped to help anybody. But now, I felt empowered...I immediately went over to the vehicle and there was a young girl in there. She was not hurt but she was terrified. I stood with her and talked with her and finally got her to a place where she was ready to get out of the car. Really, what I gave her was a big hug and a reassurance that her mom would not be mad at her. That was a pretty powerful moment for me.”

Getting involved with the Red Cross is simple, added Klein. All one has to do is visit their website, http://www.redcross.org/local/south-carolina, and request to volunteer.

“We always encourage people to stop by and we’ll give them a tour and talk to them,” said Klein. “Each of us is eager to bring new people in, especially if we get some more young people.”

Specifically, on Daniel Island, there is a serious need for blood donors, Klein explained. The closest location to donate blood is the Mount Pleasant Blood Donation Center located at 920 Houston Northcutt Blvd.

“We have a need every day for blood,” she said. “It saves lives.”

In 2017, the American Red Cross of the Lowcountry helped more than 1,300 people after disasters, such as home fires, stated Langley. Partners of the area Red Cross and volunteers installed over 6,600 smoke alarms. Approximately 8,500 people were trained in lifesaving skills, such as first aid, CPR and water safety.