Marguerite and Tom Mutchler: Loving Couple Shares Passion for the Red Cross

By: Emma G. Brown, Regional Communications Intern

Happily married or !" years, Marguerite and Tom Mutchler share a passion and commitment not only
to each other, #ut or the $merican Red Cross and its undamental duty o helping those in need.
%espite their #usy schedules, the couple &olunteers their time to the Red Cross, #oth ser&ing as acti&e
Clara Barton 'ociety mem#ers and #eing in&ol&ed in other areas o the organi(ation.
$s )ice *resident o Glo#al Engineering and Manuacturing or $ir *roducts, Tom Mutchler irst
recogni(ed the Red Cross as a corporate Community *artner. But it was the Red Cross+ humanitarian
mission that set it apart rom other local non,proits and inspired him to &olunteer as a Red Cross
#oard mem#er. -I wanted to donate my time to a non,proit whose mission was to deli&er compassion,.
he emphasi(es.
$s a #oard mem#er, Tom regularly attends meetings, undraising e&ents, pro&ides generous inancial
support, and will start his second /,year term on the #oard this year. $n e0perience that stands out to
Tom was the !12/ Board Mem#er Retreat where #oard mem#ers met with other &olunteers and local
Red Cross leaders. The close interaction allowed or a greater understanding o the mission, pro&ided
a uni3ue opportunity to share e0periences, and highlighted Red Cross ser&ices that might not ha&e
#een as well 4nown. He says, -It was encouraging that the actions o the Red Cross were e&en
greater than what I had pre&iously understood..
'preading awareness o the Red Cross+s ser&ices is important to Tom. He sponsored a team rom $ir
*roducts in the E0ecuti&e 5orum o the 6ehigh )alley7s Grand *ri0 Endurance Race in order to raise
money and ad&ocate the wor4 o the Red Cross to the 6ehigh )alley community as well as to his
ellow $ir *roducts employees. *assionate and illed with am#ition in his &olunteer wor4, Tom hopes to
sponsor two teams in ne0t year+s e&ent.
The dynamic duo would not #e complete without Red Cross &olunteer, Marguerite Mutchler.
Marguerite #ecame intrigued #y the mission o the Red Cross while attending the $nnual Board
Meeting E&ent with her hus#and. Guest spea4er and author 'e&erin 5ayerman, shared his story o
sur&i&al rom 8a(i occupation with the assistance o the Red Cross, and it was then that Marguerite
decided to #ecome in&ol&ed and share her 4nowledge and e0perience in social wor4.
Marguerite generously oered her time #y super&ising and wor4ing with a Red Cross social wor4
intern rom 9ut(town :ni&ersity or a period o two academic semesters. Through this e0perience, she
and her intern acti&ely pro&ided help to the 'er&ices to $rmed 5orces program with responsi#ilities
including case wor4, reerral, inta4e inormation, -;ellow,Ri##oning,. and reconnecting amily
mem#ers through 5amily Reconnections. $t the end o their wor4 with the 5amily Reconnections
ser&ice, Marguerite <oined her intern in esta#lishing the inal connection #y reuniting a amily in person.
Relecting upon her &olunteer wor4 thus ar, Marguerite recalls that she most en<oyed -the idea o
using ree time to gi&e #ac4. and wor4ing closely and learning along with her intern
=hen as4ed who inspired who to #ecome in&ol&ed with the Red Cross, it7s apparent that the couple
inspires each other in their &olunteer wor4 and that they also are #oth truly inspired #y the Red Cross+
mission o compassion. -$ door opened and I was luc4y enough to wal4 through it,. Marguerite
e0plains. =ith their children attending college this all, Marguerite hopes to &olunteer e&en more. It is
<ust the #eginning or the Mutchlers7 rewarding &olunteer wor4 and continued generous support o the
Clara Barton 'ociety.