red cross ready
Story by Susan O'Connor, Photo by Courtney Fitzwater

Jan Simpson is a caregiver of people. Her longtime profession is nursing, and her philanthropy is the American Red Cross. Almost 74 years old with a current registered nurse’s license, she volunteers thousands of hours each year.

“I’ve always taken care of people,” she said with her trademark enthusiasm.

“I’m a super caregiver. Nursing fits right into my care-giving nature.”

For the local chapter of the American Red Cross, Jan has been a godsend.

“Jan is a true asset to the Northeast Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross,” said executive director Pam Knapp-Carver. “She is knowledgeable and skilled in every function of disaster work and is very often my go-to person when I have a question. She is a great leader, a joy to work with and is loved and respected by everyone associated with the chapter. Last year Jan was recognized for volunteering over 2,000 hours to the chapter, and this year I’m quite sure it will surpass 3,000. We have trouble getting her to record all her hours. If the chapter had to pay someone to do what Jan does, the cost would be significant.”

Jan is also active at the state level, serving as the State Disaster Health Services Advisor, a position appointed through the American Red Cross national headquarters with concurrence from the home chapter, state consortium and state disaster officer.

Born in the Greenfield community and a Nettleton High School graduate, Jan attended nursing school at Baptist Hospital in Memphis. In those days, she said, career options weren’t as plentiful for girls.

“I was very blessed to be able to do that,” she said. “Girls didn’t venture far from home for an education. I had six brothers and my mother was determined that I not be a girl who did not have some way to make a living. My mother was very smart.”

While attending school in Memphis, Jan attended Belleview Baptist Church. It was there that she met her husband of more than 50 years, Earl Simpson, at a dinner for military men. Born in San Francisco, Earl was a Navy man. After graduation, the couple moved around the country as Earl’s career necessitated, and Jan practiced her profession in a variety of settings, including doctor’s offices, hospitals, rehabilitation settings and long-term care facilities.

Her last paid positions were at St. Bernards Home Health from 1995-1997, then with the American Red Cross as disaster services coordinator from 2006-2007. Now, she works the equivalent of more than three full workdays each week, without pay, teaching classes, working in human resources and generally sharing her experience and expertise.

Jan’s work as a volunteer with the agency, however, began shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, with an extreme initiation. She was a brand new volunteer, fresh out of the prerequisite of classes, when she received a phone call from the American Red Cross national headquarters on Sept. 12 asking about her availability to serve in New York City. Jan boarded a plane in Memphis without Earl, and it took two full days to reach her destination in the mayhem that followed the 9/11 disaster. Jan joined Red Cross volunteers from throughout the country, supervising the interviews and data entry of 15,000 local volunteers, many of whom volunteered off the streets. Her memories of the experience are clearly emotional.

Jan and Earl also helped with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts here, then spent three weeks in New Orleans. Earl has been a Red Cross volunteer for a number of years, traveling around the country to various disaster areas.

“Our specialty is sheltering and feeding,” Jan said of the Red Cross. “No one does it like us. If they tried to do it, it would be like reinventing the wheel. We are the first relief agency to arrive after a disaster, as soon as there is no danger, and as soon as there are people to take care of.”

How long will this vivacious grandmother of six continue the long hours of devotion? “I can’t imagine if I didn’t have something to do. And there are a lot of people like me out there. I think there are a lot of people my age who would like to volunteer, but don’t think they can.”

What has surprised you most in your work with people in crisis? Most of them want to help someone else that they see is worse off than themselves. It is just great to see how a community comes together to share what they still have.

If you could have one wish for this country, what would it be? I would like to see my country turn back to God. I would also like to see us as a united USA, and not segmented as we are now, religion, race, gender, etc.

What do you enjoy most about being a grandmother? Being a grandmother is like an added dimension for my life. It’s someone else to love in a way similar to my children. There is such a sweet feeling when one of them call and just say Grandma. I think it is all about love.

What is your all-time favorite movie? I don’t think I have a favorite so I am going to tell you a few. “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” with William Holden. I saw this the first time on a date with Earl. Also, “Second Hand Lions” is just great. I am also a “Star Wars” fan and practically know the words.

What words do you think your husband would use to describe you? She loves me, a good cook, loves the children, ready to go.