Myrna Morton-Brown has been donating her blood since she was in college.
She even pre-donated blood for her own surgery in 1982.
For the 67-year-old Glendale resident giving blood became such an important effort that she began organizing office blood drives six years ago for her office employees to give to the American Red Cross.
"I was big on donating blood," Morton-Brown said. "It was fun going around and telling everybody to give a pint of their blood."
After her retirement four years ago, Morton-Brown, 67, decided to volunteer her time with the Red Cross, the organization she had been familiar with ever since she started giving blood.
"I said I'm not the type to stay home and I thought about what I wanted to do and it was [helping] the Red Cross without a doubt," Morton-Brown said.
She joined the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the Red Cross and has been a volunteer ever since.
Morton-Brown wanted to work with blood services when she decided to become a Red Cross volunteer.
Instead, the staff decided she would do well working in the office because of her background in administrative work.
But Morton-Brown doesn't mind the office work.
Her duties as a volunteer vary. She works at the reception desk and also handles rentals of Red Cross facility patrons. As local service clubs and community organizations rent the meeting rooms for various functions, Morton-Brown arranges the rental agreement with the groups.
"Myrna has been a very valuable volunteer with the Red Cross because of her professionalism and her appreciation of the customers that the chapter provides service too," said Ron Farina, executive director of the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Red Cross.
Morton-Brown also credits youth for her desire to volunteer her time.
"It's a good feeling to give of your time and services no matter what your age is," Morton-Brown said.
Due to health concerns, Morton-Brown has refrained from giving her blood. But her limitation doesn't stop her from encouraging others to organize a blood drive or to simply donate a pint of blood.
