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Red Cross in need of volunteer drivers

Posted at 4:17 PM, Dec 20, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-20 17:10:24-05

NORFOLK, Va. - The Red Cross is in need of a different kind of donation. Usually they need blood, but right now they also need drivers.

In a tweet this week, Red Cross Virginia said they need 65 volunteer transportation specialists for Coastal Virginia and 89 in the Richmond area.

Theresa Young has been a volunteer transportation specialist for the Red Cross in Norfolk for three years, donating her time to help get life-saving blood products to those who need it most.

"They don’t do anyone any good sitting here. They have to get to the hospital somehow," said Young. "If they can't get it from the donor to the hospital where it is needed, then sometimes it goes bad and that is not good either."

To become a transportation specialist, you don't need any special skills - just a drivers license and time.

"You just need a willing heart, a little bit of time and little bit of arm strength to pick up the boxes and put them in and out of the vehicle - that is about it," explained Young with a laugh.

Related: Local teen trades birthday gifts, party to give others the gift of life with blood drive

You can also decide how much time you want to donate to the organization. Young drives blood products to area hospitals about once a week.

"I can choose when I want to do something. I don’t have to wait for a disaster to happen and then drop everything on my schedule."

To learn how you can become a volunteer transportation specialist, visit the Red Cross' website.