PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The American Red Cross is celebrating Mary O'Geary, who just marked 50 years with the Tampa Bay chapter. Some of that time as a paid staffer, some as a volunteer.

While O'Geary says she has changed during those five decades, she says something has not.

"It’s still that we’re here to make sure that each person affected by a disaster get the help they need to move their life forward back to a normal state," said O'Geary.

The milestone was marked with a parade passing by her Largo home to honor her decades dedicated to service.

Red Cross volunteers and staffers, local first responders and community members honked and drove by to say thank you for community service she continues.

O'Geary started serving the Red Cross in 1971.

"My daughter’s Girl Scout troop wanted to go camping and none of the adults were first-aid trained,” explained O'Geary. "I was chosen to go take first-aid training and it grew from that.”

The milestone was marked with a parade passing by her Largo home to honor her decades dedicated to service. Red Cross volunteers and staffers, local first responders and community members honked and drove by to say thank you for community service she continues. (American Red Cross)

O'Geary's role grew into many positions, from a volunteer safety services instructor to a paid staff member in 1973. The Red Cross says O'Geary built the youth programs from the ground up.

She was then appointed as delegated Director of Safety Services, then as Director of Youth Services. O'Geary would become Certified Volunteer Administrator, then retire in 1989 but return as a volunteer. Volunteer work would focus on planning, organizing and developing programs to enable disaster clients to return to self-sufficiency. 

O'Geary would also work to manage other volunteers, including recruitment, training, placement and development. Currently, O'Geary volunteers as a recovery planning and training coordinator for the region, where she has developed workshops to help train others.

O’Geary has been deployed to more than 59 disaster relief operations, her first was the no name storm in 1993.

"I was at home, it was in my home chapter but home doesn’t stop, family doesn’t go away, concerns don’t lessen but the client has to move forward toward recovery," said O'Geary.
And she's traveled to help others far from home.

"Seattle after the earthquake was the strangest one I’d ever worked on because the earth kept moving, I was not used to that.”

And O'Geary is not used to all the attention of a parade held in her honor.

"Fifty years with Red Cross is a significant milestone, so I’m happy to celebrate her achievements here,” said Axl David, Disaster Program Specialist, with American Red Cross of Tampa Bay.

Celebrating with every honk and every hello.

O'Geary is appreciative, but humble.

"I’m one of many, many workers," she said.

Mary's proudest moment was setting up a leadership training program that offered a week-long camp for teens that lasted 14 years.

Other awards include being recognized with the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership. The award is inspired by the founder and is the highest honor the Red Cross bestows upon its volunteers.

Mary O’Geary’s History of American Red Cross Service (1971-2021)

O’Geary began her Red Cross service on April 4,1971 for the Tampa Bay Chapter as a volunteer safety services instructor (water safety, first aid).

·Became paid staff in 1973 and built the youth programs from the ground up
·Appointed by National HQ as delegated Director of Safety Services
·Then appointed as Director of Youth Service sand grew many youth programs
·Became certified volunteer administrator through the Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) program (which from 1961-2005 was the largest professional association in the world for managers of volunteers)
·Retired as an employee in 1989 after 16 years
·Returned as a volunteer with a focus on planning, organizing and developing programs to enable disaster clients to return to self-sufficiency, as well as managing other volunteers including recruitment, training, placement and development.
·Currently she is recovery planning and training coordinator for the region where she has developed workshops to help train others (most notably recovery services –casework, referrals)Notables:
·Assigned/deployed more than 59 times for disaster relief operations from (most recently Tropical Storm Eta)
·Recognized in 2015 with the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership,the highest honor the Red Cross bestows upon its volunteers, recognizing compassionate service and extraordinary achievements (inspired by our founder)
·Regional award for most hours worked in FY 2018
·Worked most hours (6,000) in the past five years (2016-2021)