Compelling Reasons to Donate Blood

Recently, my friends and I on the East side have taken on the task of hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive. Hosting a blood drive helps our community, but it also takes a community of people to execute it. There is the physical space to set up, blood donor appointments to fill, registrations tables to run, and food and drink to be provided. And of course, many health care professionals to complete the actual work of collecting the blood.

These are some of reasons why we decided to host a blood drive in our community, but why do people decide to donate their blood? According to the Red Cross, only 38% of the US population is eligible to donate blood at any one time, and out of those, less than 10% actually donate. Yet the reality is that every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.

There are various reasons to donate blood:

  • Some people are invited by a good friend or coworker to attend a blood drive. Serving together with friends is both rewarding and fun, and a personal invitation can bring someone to donate that may not have considered it before.
  • Other people tell stories of friends or loved ones who have benefited from blood donations. This very close and emotional connection motivates people to give and that in turn makes them hero for someone else. Did you know one blood donation can save up to three lives?
  • Seeing and filling a need may be enough of a motivator for some people; after all, there is currently a critical shortage of blood donations. The need for blood is constant; about 36,000 units are needed every day in the US alone.
  • Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to give to those in need. Donating blood is one way to carry out those teachings and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

When deciding whether or not to donate blood, the bottom line is this: You don’t have to have a special reason to donate blood. You just need your own reason. And whatever your reason is, we hope that you will join us on our journey of serving together with our community.

If you do decide to donate, join us on Friday June 24th – 1-6pm at the Church in East Madison, 258 Corporate Drive Suite 262. You can reserve a time slot here.

What is your motivation to donate blood? Leave your answer in the comments below.