By day, Thomas McGrath is busy at work as a business systems consultant.  His off-hours time, however, takes on another dimension – helping the Charter Oak Chapter of the American Red Cross respond to the needs of the community.  

The Charter Oak Chapter recently recognized Tom for his hard work by naming him Volunteer of the Year for Community Education. The honor came as a surprise to Tom who thought he was being named Volunteer of the Quarter. Since 1993, Tom has volunteered as a health and safety instructor teaching first aid, CPR, and sports safety courses. 

“Given my busy schedule, I usually don’t attend the chapter's formal events," Tom said, "but this particular evening, my wife, Gail, and I attended. I was happy we did, because I didn’t expect to get the Volunteer of the Year award, and it was really nice to be able to share the award with Gail.”

“Tom was nominated and chosen from hundreds of volunteers for his consistent excellence and extraordinary volunteer service to the Charter Oak Chapter,” said Debra Pasquale, chief executive officer of the chapter. “Paid and volunteer staff members have come to rely on his leadership as a vital contribution to the success of our team.”

Tom’s work at the chapter involves teaching two to three first aid and CPR courses a quarter. According to the chapter, Tom takes time from his very busy schedule to set up and teach at several sites. He has taught in Hartford, Farmington, and Willimantic, and, as well as at a senior center in Columbia. 

Tom was also one of the instructors who trained responders from Connecticut who were sent to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. 

Tom takes his role at the Red Cross to heart. The Charter Oak Chapter has learned that they can rely on Tom in a pinch since he is willing to help out at the last minute. And, Tom brings a sense of humor to the job – his students always give him high marks and include great comments on the feedback surveys.

As if his involvement with the Red Cross weren’t enough, Tom also serves as a volunteer sports coach and as an Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge course instructor for the Columbia Boy Scouts.

2006