Published on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 in Blog

January 2, 2026

FEEL-GOOD NEWS

Blood donors put good into the world.

January is National Blood Donor Month, and it's the perfect chance to celebrate our donors who save lives all year long. 

National Blood Donor Month was established in January 1970 with a proclamation by President Richard Nixon to raise awareness about the critical need for blood donations during winter, when supplies often drop. This annual observance has celebrated donors and encouraged new ones for the past 56 years by highlighting the lifesaving role of blood donation. 

Put Good into the World

National Law Enforcement Day

January 9 is National Law Enforcement Day but we partner with first responders all year long, which is why we created Heroes for Life.

The partnership began years ago as Blue Blood, a collaboration with COPS, but has evolved into Heroes for Life to include all emergency response partners, who understand how important it is to have a strong blood supply.

Heroes for Life blood drives are happening all across our service region with our first responder partners, who invite the community to save lives alongside them. There's even a limited-edition Heroes for Life T-shirt available in our Rewards Store. 

Learn more about Heroes for Life here.

Holiday spirit looks good on this team!

The Davenport Donor Recruitment team took a break from the busy season to enjoy some holiday fun together. Festive outfits, big smiles, and plenty of laughs filled our headquarters as the team celebrated the season and each other.

(left to right, back to front) Amanda Blake, Kaitlyn Pearson, Patti Ensey, Peggy Browne, Mick Bruce, Sherry Stark, Vicky Pendergast, Raya Bernauer Lynne Flores, Tiffany Bysinger-Ealy, Meia Teague, Akeia Shell

(left to right, back to front) Amanda Blake, Kaitlyn Pearson, Patti Ensey, Peggy Browne, Mick Bruce, Sherry Stark, Vicky Pendergast, Raya Bernauer Lynne Flores, Tiffany Bysinger-Ealy, Meia Teague, Akeia Shell

Cedar Rapids West was on the NICE list!

Santa stopped by our Williams Parkway center on a few occasions - donating blood, posing for photos, and spreading some cheer along the way. 

Way to show the holiday spirit, Cedar Rapids!

Thank the Donor

Our Thank the Donor program is a way for patients (and their families) to connect with the person whose blood they actually received, with messages (called Appreciations) like this one: 

"My son is transfusion dependent with a rare undiagnosed blood disorder. Thank you for giving him the gift of life. He needs blood every 3-4 weeks. He has had in total over 75 units of blood. Next summer he goes for a bone marrow transplant that will hopefully heal his body. We will forever be thankful and indebted to you because you chose to donate! Thank you!!!"

Thank the Donor

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Daniel Tomlinson

Digital Marketing Strategist | Springfield, IL

Daniel Tomlinson, Digital Marketing Strategist | Springfield, IL

Time at ImpactLife
11 months

Blood Type
A Positive

What runs through your veins?
Lots of water and craft coffee

What's your favorite thing about being part of our team?
I am a lifelong learner and someone who truly loves seeing growth happen, and here, the growth that we create as an organization changes and saves lives every single day. The ethos of what we do is felt every day. I love telling people about what we do and the impact we make.

When you are not at work you can be found?
My creative passion has always been photography. In my free time, I love traveling and photographing cool places, people, and scenes. If I am not doing that, I am probably running. Running a lot. This next year I am attempting to run 2,026 miles, so lots and lots of running.

Feel-Good News is published every Friday to inspire + connect our ImpactLife team.

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