Cherry Adriano's philosophy on volunteerism is to help others while making a difference and a positive impact in the world. By volunteering with Singapore Red Cross' Blood Donor Programme, Cherry spends time meaningfully by giving back to Singapore. As a Volunteer Leader, she hopes to inspire others to do the same.

Bloodbank Volunteer Leader

Since young, Cherry Adriano’s view on volunteerism has been to ‘assist others and give back to the community.’ 

Cherry, aged 43, who works in the IT sector, finds it a pleasure to be part of the Bloodbank Volunteer Team as donating blood is crucial to saving and sustaining lives. Cherry has been volunteering with the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) Blood Donor Programme since 2021 and has participated in many mobile community blood donation drives and roadshows run by the blood donor programme at Outram Bloodbank@HSA.

As a Bloodbank volunteer, her responsibilities include understanding the flow of the donation process, ensuring safe distancing, queue and capacity management, and coordinating with Mobile Blood Donation (MBD) organisers to ensure clear communication and signages at each phase of the donation process. She also coordinates with HSA employees, and doctors if the blood donors have any concerns, assistance or any need for clarification. 

Besides being a Bloodbank volunteer, Cherry is also a Bloodbank Volunteer Leader. As a Bloodbank Volunteer Leader, she delegates tasks to SRC Volunteers and ensures that the volunteers take their meal breaks on time and are comfortable. She also ensures that supplies are sufficient for the next event while coordinating with managers on the replenishment of supplies. As can be seen from above, it is no mean feat to be a Volunteer Leader at the Bloodbank.

Empathy and Compassion

Every blood donation drive comes with its set of challenges. Some of these challenges are logistical, such as catering to the differing preferences for donor medals collection dates and times. Some donors also have language preferences while others prefer to be served first as they are frequent donors with hectic schedules. As a Volunteer Leader, Cherry manages volunteers by ensuring that they experience all the tasks available and are not simply assigned a single task. She also communicates with the volunteers to understand their needs and expectations.

Given the uniqueness of each blood donation drive, Cherry embraces flexibility to customise each drive to situational needs. Other challenges faced include managing the expectations of different blood donors and volunteers.

Putting herself in the shoes of blood donors and volunteers, Cherry embraces active listening and empathy as her way of overcoming challenges. She does her utmost best to resolve any issues raised or seek assistance where necessary. This is symbolic of psychological first aid (PFA) — a course offered by the SRC Academy.

Friendship Overcomes Obstacles

‘Anything is possible if you have the right people there to support you.’ 
Misty Copeland

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges, such as fewer volunteering opportunities and restrictions on cross-site volunteering, between Bloodbanks. Undeterred, Cherry invited her friends to join her by volunteering to help others. It gave her the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities while enjoying the company of her friends.

Meaningful Deeds

As she works on weekdays, Cherry volunteers on weekends wherever possible. A typical day for Cherry starts around 9am and ends at 1am. Through such volunteering sessions, Cherry connects with like-minded people during her volunteering stints. 

"I feel the most rewarding facet of being a Bloodbank Volunteer is being part of a team which helps to save and sustain the lives of others. The appreciation of donors and HSA employees spur me on. I learnt new skills such as people management, building self confidence, while honing my interpersonal skills. These are benefits which I reaped as part of my volunteer journey with the Singapore Red Cross," she shares.

What keeps her soldiering on with each blood donation drive and roadshow is the knowledge that she can "make a difference, be part of a community, meet new people" and spend her time meaningfully.

Leading by Example

As a Volunteer Leader, Cherry gleaned insights into topics such as project processes, event management, personality differences and people management and to understand the various structures, teams and activities managed by the SRC. She attended the Volunteer Leadership Programme organised by the SRC for three months from 30 October 2021 to 8 January 2022.

She feels honoured that she can ‘lead a group of people with the heart and one mission of helping and making a difference’ to the community. 

As a volunteer leader, Cherry strives to lead volunteers to achieve greater heights by forming strong bonds with volunteers, communicating and listening to them, understanding and helping them to reach their goals and expectations in volunteering. She also recognises and appreciates their efforts and time.  

The Gift that Keeps Giving

Cherry shares her view on the role of volunteers and the importance of volunteering:

"Volunteering is ‘a gift that keeps on giving’ because it is beneficial to the community and to oneself. It develops one's interpersonal skills and self-esteem while connecting a person to a bigger community which shares one’s values and desires for a better society," says Cherry.

Keeping the Flame Alive

“As a Volunteer Leader, I hope to inspire others to volunteer and be a blood donor while providing positive experiences to volunteers and donors. I also aspire to attract more volunteers to build up a strong network of volunteers while serving as a good example to the younger generation," she explains.

Volunteers are an integral part of any community. In a country with a burgeoning ageing population, volunteers play a significant role in assisting with community projects and programmes. The esprit de corps of volunteerism helps to infuse a culture of citizenship and moral values that will be passed on from one generation to another. 

By Lee Kher Shing, Volunteer
Copyedited By Shareen Sophia Louise Thomson, Volunteer