Passion for assisting others leads Jamie McGraw to South Bend Medical Foundation

I know several people who love their jobs, but I also know several people who would rather be anywhere than at work.

I also know one person who would work around the clock if he was allowed and I’m not sure it would matter to him whether he was getting paid $3 an hour or $8 an hour. He eats, breathes and dreams South Bend Medical Foundation.

Jamie McGraw, 25, has worked for the Foundation for the last three years as the Blood Donor Attendant at West Edison. South Bend Medical Foundation in conjunction with Logan Center has established a partnership to create opportunities for work placement. Jamie has Down Syndrome, a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both physically and mentally.

Each morning, he boards the bus and travels to work for his 7:30am start. Clad in his white South Bend Medical Foundation polo shirt, Jamie is proud to welcome donors into the blood donor center. His goal is to assist donors so that they have a good experience and want to return.

With a smile on his face and an eagerness to please, Jamie offers each donor an assortment of juice and snacks. He knows the importance of his position.  But this isn’t his only duty. He puts medical supplies away, makes sure the snack totes are refilled for the remote blood drive team, makes cold cloths for donors who suffer from reactions, and makes the coffee and hot tea. It’s all in a day’s work for Jamie.

But it isn’t the work that motivates him to do his best every day, it’s his co-workers.

“My favorite thing is that I love my colleagues.  They’re nice and friendly and they dress appropriately,” said Jamie.

His enthusiasm for his work and even for life is contagious.  He’s even a little bit of a marketing guru. If you call his personal cell phone and are transferred to voice mail, you’ll get a message urging you to donate blood at South Bend Medical Foundation.

It’s a message that comes from the heart and one he knows is important.

“I have donated blood five times. I started because my dad had cancer so I wanted to donate blood in his memory,” said Jamie.

Two years ago, Jamie contacted the marketing crew at the Foundation and told them he thought that every donor should get a turkey when they donate during November. It was amazing how many donors flooded the centers wanting to donate blood so they could receive the Thanksgiving turkey.

And although Jamie has a great amount of passion for his current position, he admits that he wanted to work in the donor area so he could get experience working with people and serving them beverages and making them comfortable because his goal is to work for the airlines as a flight attendant.

He’s active in Logan Center and recently served as the chairman of the Logan’s Run.  He also is an usher at St. Joe Parish. One thing is for sure, Jamie is a motivated employee at the Foundation and he clearly loves his job.

Come meet Jamie at our Edison location Monday – Friday between 7:30 and 3:30. He’ll take great care of you!