Wednesday, January 7, 2004
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Wednesday, January 7, 2004 |
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United Methodists, American Red Cross team up for blood drives during January The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, in conjunction with The American Red Cross, has organized a statewide blood drive during the month of January 2004. In Fayetteville, the blood drive will be at the Fayetteville First United Methodist Church on Sunday, Jan. 18, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Other donation sites in nearby counties include College Park First UMC, Jan. 8, 12-5 p.m.; Griffin District Office, Jan. 9, 2-7 p.m.; Locust Grove UMC, Jan. 12, 2-7:30 p.m.; and Villa Rica UMC, Jan. 18, 2-7 p.m. “The idea that blood may not be available when needed is an extremely frightening, but real possibility,” a spokesperson said. “The summer and winter seasons never pass without a serious national blood shortage. The Red Cross blood supply in Georgia depends on blood from other states because there are not enough Georgians who give blood in these seasons.” Ed Tomlinson, executive assistant to the bishop of the North Georgia Conference, stated, “We partnered with the Red Cross to help bring awareness of critical blood shortages within our own communities and to directly address the need through blood donations.” The NGUMC has a donation goal of 1,000 pints of blood. The holidays are a critical time when blood is traditionally in short supply due to travel schedules, inclement weather, and illness. There is a constant need for blood because it lasts a maximum of 42 days. In order to meet hospital demands, American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region, needs approximately 1,200 people to donate each weekday. Healthy donors are the only source of blood. There is no substitute. Blood Services, Southern Region, provides blood and blood products to more than 140 hospitals and health care facilities. “Every day blood is needed to save lives. The North Georgia United Methodists have seen this call for help and have stepped up to the challenge of making a difference in their communities by creating more awareness and by involvement. Together, we are stressing that this is a constant issue for everyone every day. The real life impact of a blood shortage could be a tragic one,” said Steve Harrill, metro-Atlanta district manager of American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region. A single blood donation can help up to three people. Donors can safely give blood every 56 days. Look for sign-up sheets at the local church blood drive locations or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (448-3543) to find a local Red Cross donor site. Blood donors must be in good health, be at least 17 years of age, and weigh no less than 110 pounds. Red Cross Blood Services relies solely on the generosity of the American public to save lives through blood donations. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.givelife.org to schedule a blood donation. For more information, visit the Web site, www.redcross.org. The North Georgia United Methodist Conference was established in 1866 and is headquartered in Norcross. It is comprised of approximately 950 churches, 1,500 clergy, over 320,000 lay members and 12 superintendents in the northern part of Georgia. The Conference mission is to nurture people who look to United Methodism and aggressively reach seekers of faith. For more information, visit www.ngumc.org.
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