THE SUMMER SUPPLY: A CHALLENGE, NOT A "CRISIS"
"No shortage, let's keep it that way!"
When media outreach from a major national blood provider uses the terms "shortage" and "blood crisis," we're also going to be asked about the blood supply in our region. Our answer: ImpactLife does not have a shortage, and we're working hard to keep it that way.
We've written a blog post and have been doing media and donor outreach this week to hone in on that message. Our goal is to both assure our communities that ImpactLife is not experiencing a "blood crisis" and to emphasize how we need strong support from the communities we serve to avoid ever having a shortage.
We all know summer is a challenging time for the blood supply. The next time someone at the pool, beer garden, or barbecue asks how we're doing, let them know hospitals and EMS teams have blood on the shelves, and we could use their support to help keep it that way!
A DOGGONE WORTHY CAUSE
"Being generous, and just having that mindset of 'How can I help the community, how can I help the people around me, so that the community I live in is better off?' Donating - whether that's time, money, or blood!"
Dogust, a mashup of "Dog" and "August," is the universal birthday for all shelter and rescue dogs, a day created to give them a moment all their own. We'll be cheering on the shelters and humane societies that care for animals across our communities by highlighting our eligible Good Giving partners and encouraging blood donors to utilize our Good Giving program! The current Good Giving cycle with eligible pet shelters and humane societies will conclude on August 30.
We had a chance to speak with Celina Rippel of the Humane Society of Scott County to hear her perspective on Dogust - watch it here!
TEEING UP FUTURE DONORS
Raising awareness, one golf hole at a time!
Last Saturday we had the chance to meet with golfers at the Hope On The Farm: The Millie Moo Story golf outing, to talk about how blood is medicine for kids fighting cancer. We’ve been proud to partner with the Millie Moo Foundation for blood drives that help shine a light on the importance of blood donation.
![Alex Burkamper, Community Development Advocate, and Tori Tebbitt, Account Manager, Donor Relations]()
Alex Burkamper, Community Development Advocate, and Tori Tebbitt, Account Manager, Donor Relations
The Millie Moo Foundation financially assists families of children diagnosed with cancer, to give them the peace of mind to focus on what matters most: hope, healing, and staying together during these challenging times.
Earlier this year we sat down with Gabriella DeClercq, Millie’s mom, who shared her powerful story with us. Watch it again here!
RED4LIFE IS COMMUNITY
We're Stronger Together.
It’s why we spent last Saturday at the NAACP St. Louis County Health Fair at the Dellwood Recreation Center.
It was a chance for us to share why having a more diverse donor base allows us to help more sickle cell patients. And it's how the Red4Life initiative began.
Our goal is to increase blood donation diversity and find precisely matched blood products for patients with sickle cell disease. Here's why:
- One in three African-American blood donors is a match for a sickle cell patient
- One in 13 African-Americans have the sickle cell trait
We're always on the lookout for more diverse blood donors, for more diverse organizations to partner with for blood drives, and for more community events we can join to help spread awareness on how to help sickle cell warriors. Find more information at www.bloodcenter.org/red4life or reach out to 2-Marketing.
WE ALL BLEED THE SAME!
Our team had a blast connecting with community members at the Bloomington-Normal Pridefest hosted by the Prairie Pride Coalition last Saturday in Bloomington IL. We offered free blood typing and answered questions about the blood donation process.
It also was a chance to talk about the 2023 FDA eligibility changes that made blood donation more inclusive, to explain how blood saves lives every day, and to welcome more people into our donor community.
It was a wonderful day of outreach that reinforced an important message: We all bleed the same. Learn more at www.bloodcenter.org/pride.
QUIET STRENGTH MEETS LIFESAVING IMPACT!
When we team up with the community, everyone wins!
We had the chance to team up with The Quiet Strength Project, a local nonprofit that supports families with kids who have complex medical needs. Our own Alex Burkamper, Community Development Advocate and Tori Tebbitt, Account Manager, joined Corrie Sable with The Quiet Strength Project on Monday's episode of WHBF's Living Local!
We took the opportunity to highlight the need for blood during the summer months, when the blood supply drops due to summer vacations and school being out of session. Watch their story here!
For more information visit thequietstrengthproject.org and bloodcenter.org