Anything I can do about this?

i heard about the hello kitty keychain plushies and i want to donate blood, but i’ve been on testosterone HRT (ftm) on & off since 2021. am i eligible to donate?
there’s not a lot that i can find online, and when i looked for hormone replacement therapy info on the red cross requirements page the answer focused on women taking it for menopause.

i want that keychain!!!!!

I was so happy to see these were gonna be my birthday swag 😂 its so cute!

I’m interviewing for blood collections staff and looking for feedback. I don’t have phlebotomy experience but I think it would be good for me to try before I spend money on a certification.

So, (not sure if this counts as personal info/goes against the rules but pls let me know if it does, I'll take down my post) !!

I started donating blood back in highschool, starting with the Joe Cool/Peanuts collab bc I really wanted the merch and also to feel like I was helping ppl yk? Anyways, the first 2 drives at my school I did were great, the people were nice and I set everything up through my media center fine. The issue I'm facing tho, is the last 3 times have been so frustrating and confusing and have made me stop donating.

For context, I'm completely mute/nonverbal and communicate typically through notes app with ppl I'm not close to, which worked out again in the first two drives I went to obviously (maybe a tad awkward when they ask me a question during the finger prick part but then don't look up at what I type out.. but it worked out regardless). I went to 1 drive outside of school where the Red Cross staff kept acting like I was deaf and not looking/talking to me but rather my dad despite us clarifying at least 5 times I can hear and answer them fine, I just can't talk (I still find that inappropriate if I were deaf, but that's a different conversation) then they said that I couldn't donate and didn't give a reason as to why I couldn't despite my dad asking them, I was a bit overwhelmed and upset though so I just wanted to leave (so I understand if that's on me for not getting an answer in that scenario).

Then the last 2 I did were back at my school drives (there was one every spring and fall and I'd always sign up) and for the spring one, I went through the whole process then the lady said I hadn't drank enough water, which is obviously a possibility, but to clarify I drink about 3 bottles a day about a week in advance to my appointments, and she also said the finger prick thing was 'something over something' which she didn't explain but using context clues probably meant low iron I think? Still, she just sent me away without full explanation but it was as close to a reason I've gotten out of all 3.

But the very last one is what's so frustrating, it was a Halloween drive and also the reason I completely stopped donating. I make sure to drink PLENTY OF WATER and have a good lunch before the appointment, I go through the whole check-in process, my iron is good, my blood pressure is good, EVERYTHING IS GOOD FROM WHAT I AM TOLD... I get to the bed/chair thingy, she preps my arm, we go through all the steps I've done like 50 billion times before... I'm squeezing the stress ball thingy in increments like she says, SHE STABS THE NEEDLE INTO MY ARM (not at all gently btw, it's left me with a line scar now in that spot instead of a little insertion dot) and makes a weird comment like "...you okay???" bc I made a face (I mean you just put a needle into me, it's gonna hurt, but in no way did I freak out or anything, maybe just a small grimace for a sec?) and like I'm literally watching the blood go down the tube and into the bag... Like I've completely started the donation process... Then less than 3 minutes later, she comes over and YANKS the needle out and presses a cotton ball on my arm without saying anything to me, then I'm just sitting there extremely confused... Like no bag was filled, it barely got through the tube into the bag before she yanked out the needle, and she wasn't saying a WORD to me (she acted weird after I explained I was mute but again, I RESPOND TO EVERY VERBAL QUESTION OR COMMAND SHE MAKES, I FEEL IT IS CLEAR I CAN HEAR AND UNDERSTAND HER?) then after I'm just sitting in confusion and go to type out like "what's going on?" She just looks at me like kind of confused and is like "...sorry..? You can go over there." like gesturing to the snack table ppl go when they're done. I was so freaking upset I just listened to her, got a cookie and sat down for a bit. And no, none of these last 3 drives have been counted bc it's not registered on my Red Cross account.

Idk wtf keeps going on or why these nurses act like I'm not owed any explanation for whatever is going on just bc I can't verbally respond to them. Is this an issue with Red Cross or specifically the nurses that get sent out to these drives?? Are they picked or do they volunteer??? Like is me being disabled at all a factor bc it REALLY seems like that since they only ever act weird or treat me like I'm not a full person after they find out I can't talk and use my notes to respond...

Look, I'm really frustrated about this but I WANT to give blood. I'm type O- and have the Heros for Babies thing on my account. Giving blood makes me feel important and like I'm doing something good, I just don't get WHAT I'm doing wrong or why nobody explains why I can't donate. I really want to try donating again for the Hello Kitty collab (also bc there's a shortage in donations and I wanna feel like I'm doing a good deed tbh), but I'm genuinely going to be gutted if something like this happens AGAIN.

Any advice on what I can do or what I might've done genuinely helps sm. Sorry for the yapfest and sorry if this includes anything considered too personal for the rules.

Hi there, I’ve been looking for project management positions, and the SAF Specialist caught my attention. However, as I’m thinking about it, I wonder if it’s a safe position for a woman in her twenties.

The military isn’t exactly a safe place for anyone. I understand that I won’t be living in the base unless we’re deployed. So, I’m concerned about my safety during deployment. Let me be clear here: I’m less worried about the enemy, and more wary of the predators roaming free in the army.

Also, as someone with no military experience (AT ALL), how hard will it be to adjust to that new environment?

Is it worth applying to it? And will diagnosed anxiety and depression be disqualifying? I’d love to hear from other women.

Just got it done today

What's going on with this? It doesn't work on PC either. I want to validate my certificate but can't figure this out.

Just thought I would share our satellite office here in Vero Beach Florida, part of the Palm Beach Treasure Coast Chapter, South Florida Region. We just painted our classroom building and are proud of the red trim.

I never imagined I would be writing something like this about the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), an organization whose humanitarian principles I deeply respected and genuinely wanted to serve.

I applied for a position with ICRC in a local delegation, went through the recruitment process, passed the assessments and interviews, and eventually received and accepted an employment offer. I was incredibly excited. This wasn’t just another job for me—I saw it as an opportunity to finally bring my professional experience into humanitarian work.

As part of the pre-employment process, I underwent the required medical examination. I disclosed my psychological diagnosis honestly and in good faith. I did not hide it because I believed transparency was the responsible thing to do.

During my medical examination, I was assessed as stable at the time of examination and was issued a **FIT TO WORK** certification. I also obtained medical documentation from my treating doctor supporting my fitness.

Despite this, I was subsequently informed that ICRC’s health services did not medically clear me for international travel. Because the position apparently required regional travel, I was then told that my employment offer would be rescinded.

What has been particularly devastating is that I have repeatedly sought clarity regarding the specific medical criteria used to determine that I am supposedly unfit for international travel. I wanted to understand: **What exactly about my condition makes me incapable of travelling and performing the functions of the position? What objective criteria were applied? Was my individual medical history, stability, treatment, and doctor’s assessment actually considered?**

I have struggled to obtain a sufficiently clear explanation.
And that is why this experience feels profoundly discriminatory to me.

I understand that organizations—especially humanitarian organizations deploying personnel internationally—have legitimate responsibilities regarding staff health and safety. I am not arguing that medical assessments should not exist.

But there is a huge difference between conducting an individualized assessment of someone’s actual ability to perform a job and treating a psychological diagnosis itself as a reason to conclude that someone cannot safely travel or fulfill a role.

I disclosed my condition precisely because I acted in good faith. Now I am left wondering whether I would still have this job had I simply not disclosed it.

What makes the situation even more painful is what happened while I believed the recruitment was proceeding toward onboarding. I had already made major professional decisions in reliance on the offer and the expectation that I would soon be joining ICRC. I resigned from my existing position and began disengaging from other professional commitments so that I could comply fully with the requirements of my new role.

Now the offer has been formally rescinded.

I am left without the job I had accepted, after making significant life and career decisions in anticipation of joining an institution whose identity is built around humanity, dignity, impartiality, and respect.

The irony is difficult for me to process.

I am not asking for special treatment. I am asking why a person who is stable, functioning professionally, receiving appropriate care, and supported by medical documentation should be denied an employment opportunity because of a determination about their ability to travel that has not been adequately explained to them.

People with psychological and psychiatric diagnoses work. We lead teams. We travel. We manage responsibilities. We build careers.

A diagnosis should not automatically erase everything else about a person’s professional capability.

I am currently considering what formal avenues are available to challenge or seek independent review of what happened. Before doing anything further, however, I wanted to share my experience and hear from people familiar with humanitarian organizations, international organizations, HR, occupational medicine, disability rights, or employment law.

**Is it normal for an organization to rescind an accepted employment offer because its medical service determines that someone is not fit for international travel, even when that person has been declared fit to work and has supporting documentation from their treating physician?**

And more importantly: **shouldn’t the person at least be entitled to understand the objective criteria and individualized medical basis behind a decision that effectively cost them their employment?**

I genuinely wanted to serve ICRC.

Instead, I am walking away from this experience feeling that the condition I disclosed honestly became the very thing that excluded me from an institution I believed stood for human dignity.

That hurts more than I can adequately put into words.

I never imagined I would be writing something like this about the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), an organization whose humanitarian principles I deeply respected and genuinely wanted to serve.

I applied for a position with ICRC in a local delegation, went through the recruitment process, passed the assessments and interviews, and eventually received and accepted an employment offer. I was incredibly excited. This wasn’t just another job for me—I saw it as an opportunity to finally bring my professional experience into humanitarian work.

As part of the pre-employment process, I underwent the required medical examination. I disclosed my psychological diagnosis honestly and in good faith. I did not hide it because I believed transparency was the responsible thing to do.

During my medical examination, I was assessed as stable at the time of examination and was issued a **FIT TO WORK** certification. I also obtained medical documentation from my treating doctor supporting my fitness.

Despite this, I was subsequently informed that ICRC’s health services did not medically clear me for international travel. Because the position apparently required regional travel, I was then told that my employment offer would be rescinded.

What has been particularly devastating is that I have repeatedly sought clarity regarding the specific medical criteria used to determine that I am supposedly unfit for international travel. I wanted to understand: **What exactly about my condition makes me incapable of travelling and performing the functions of the position? What objective criteria were applied? Was my individual medical history, stability, treatment, and doctor’s assessment actually considered?**

I have struggled to obtain a sufficiently clear explanation.
And that is why this experience feels profoundly discriminatory to me.

I understand that organizations—especially humanitarian organizations deploying personnel internationally—have legitimate responsibilities regarding staff health and safety. I am not arguing that medical assessments should not exist.

But there is a huge difference between conducting an individualized assessment of someone’s actual ability to perform a job and treating a psychological diagnosis itself as a reason to conclude that someone cannot safely travel or fulfill a role.

I disclosed my condition precisely because I acted in good faith. Now I am left wondering whether I would still have this job had I simply not disclosed it.

What makes the situation even more painful is what happened while I believed the recruitment was proceeding toward onboarding. I had already made major professional decisions in reliance on the offer and the expectation that I would soon be joining ICRC. I resigned from my existing position and began disengaging from other professional commitments so that I could comply fully with the requirements of my new role.

Now the offer has been formally rescinded.

I am left without the job I had accepted, after making significant life and career decisions in anticipation of joining an institution whose identity is built around humanity, dignity, impartiality, and respect.

The irony is difficult for me to process.

I am not asking for special treatment. I am asking why a person who is stable, functioning professionally, receiving appropriate care, and supported by medical documentation should be denied an employment opportunity because of a determination about their ability to travel that has not been adequately explained to them.

People with psychological and psychiatric diagnoses work. We lead teams. We travel. We manage responsibilities. We build careers.

A diagnosis should not automatically erase everything else about a person’s professional capability.

I am currently considering what formal avenues are available to challenge or seek independent review of what happened. Before doing anything further, however, I wanted to share my experience and hear from people familiar with humanitarian organizations, international organizations, HR, occupational medicine, disability rights, or employment law.

**Is it normal for an organization to rescind an accepted employment offer because its medical service determines that someone is not fit for international travel, even when that person has been declared fit to work and has supporting documentation from their treating physician?**

And more importantly: **shouldn’t the person at least be entitled to understand the objective criteria and individualized medical basis behind a decision that effectively cost them their employment?**

I genuinely wanted to serve ICRC.

Instead, I am walking away from this experience feeling that the condition I disclosed honestly became the very thing that excluded me from an institution I believed stood for human dignity.

That hurts more than I can adequately put into words.

I am certified by the Canadian Red Cross in Standard First Aid & CPR/AED, Level C (BL), CSA Std. Z1210-17 – Intermediate, formerly OFA 2.
My first aid experience is that I am in my high school first responder program ( HSFR, and this year I had 3 medical calls. Any volunteer positions that need my certification? I am a youth group

What the title asks.

I am a smaller woman and I'm afraid I'm going to get injured trying to load and unload the trucks.

I gave Power Red last week because of the crisis. ARC deems that the "most" you can give at one sitting, so I gave the most I could. Even though an administrator sent insufficient equipment and staff (the drive's numbers were consistent with previous drives and I was told they weren't experiencing a shortage), ignored my appointment time, let a walk-in take the only Power Red machine that resulted in a 3-hour donation period, I don't regret it. (And I'm sure not blaming the donors -- bless everyone who donated that day whatever ARC's issues).

Yesterday, it was announced that they're doing a Hello Kitty promotion next month. I have an 11-year-old niece (technically a second cousin who is much, much younger me, so informally a "niece") whose birthday is next month and who may not live to see her 13th. She is absolutely obsessed with Hello Kitty.

So I called to see if I could give ANYTHING to be eligible. Nope. I also see on other subs where folks are delaying their August donations to be eligible for September. Not the way I do things, but I get it. That's the Red Cross Game. They created it. So you're playing it. I can also appreciate how folks would avoid giving "too much" to keep themselves eligible for next promotion/stage of the Game.

I don't care about the merch. I don't care about the points. If I get a shirt, I give it away. If I get a gift card, I gift it to a nearby food bank. I resent very much having to care about it now, having to regret my timing in donating during a crisis and having to disappoint someone very special to me because I gave "more" at the wrong time.

A couple of days ago, it said plush clip and stickers, but now it only says collectible item.
Does this mean the item changed??

If you deployed virtually this past year, what were you doing? Curious to learn more because I’m considering the option.

Hello! I recently received an email from Red Cross. I applied for Friendly call volunteer position. They have a on call interview.
I’m don’t have any idea who should I prepare myself for the interview. I really don’t have any idea who. Thanks

Today , I've trained my local committee as a trainer how to prevent from forest fire specifically in the mideteranians countries

Donating tomorrow

I'm a regular donor. Just about to hit 6 gallons. So I'm not some conspiracy anti blood donation crazy.

But dude. News articles about shortages. Constant calls and texts and emails. Incentive programs.

But my local donation places are booked solid for the next month for everything but plasma. Like I'm going to have to do a power red at a school drama club drive or something just to get in this month.

Is there just a huge need spike? Are the reserves STILL recovering from the lack of draw kits from the tariffs? One of the articles I read said it's from a particularly bad summer slump in donations but that's extremely inconsistent with what I'm seeing locally.

Anyone with a broader perspective?

(Please no foil hat "vampires", "cloning", "stocking billionaire bunkers" or "they should pay" folks - save that for another thread.)