Published by Kirby Winn on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in News Releases
ImpactLife is recognizing the one-year anniversary of the blood center’s name change with an invitation for donors to support blood industry relief efforts in Ukraine. Donors are invited to contribute points through the Donor for Life Rewards Store now through World Blood Donor Day (June 14, 2022). ImpactLife will match the cash equivalent of donated points up to $10,000 and send funds through a matching program established by Blood Centers of America (BCA). Blood industry vendor Fresenius Kabi has pledged to match up to $250,000 of qualifying donations made to the BCA fund by June 30, 2022.
“The war has resulted in a severe shortage of blood bags and other blood collection supplies that are critical to immediate patient care in Ukraine,” said Mike Parejko, Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased to have this opportunity to join our donors and industry partners in supporting our colleagues in Ukraine.”
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Donor for Life is the appointment scheduling and rewards program at ImpactLife. Donors earn rewards points with each donation which they can spend on exclusive gifts. For a limited time, ImpactLife is offering donors the opportunity to contribute to the Ukraine relief fund in 500-point increments, up to a maximum of 1500 points per donor. Full details on the Ukraine relief program are available at www.bloodcenter.org/ukraine.
Give Back & Go Green initiative with the National Forest Foundation continues through May 15
Through May 15, donors will also receive a voucher to redeem for a gift card and a tree to be planted on the donor’s behalf by the National Forest Foundation. (For program information, see our news release on “Give Back & Go Green.”) To schedule an appointment for donation, please call (800) 747-5401, schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org, or via the ImpactLife mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app).
Landmark year follows May 3, 2021 name change
ImpactLife was announced as the blood center’s new name on May 3, 2021, and employees have spent the past year implementing the new name across the blood center’s four-state service region. Until May of 2021, ImpactLife went by three different names after mergers between Central Illinois Community Blood Center, Community Blood Services of Illinois, and Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center.
“After operating with three separate names for more than a decade, we are united under one name that better reflects our mission in terms of what we do versus where we are located,” said Amanda Hess, Vice President, Donor Relations and Marketing. “This change has increased efficiencies and strengthened our brand identity across our region.” Implementing the name change has required a team effort across the organization’s more than 700 employees in collaboration with more than 120 hospitals in communities served. “We are excited for the next step in our journey as we launch our Partners for Life initiative to better connect community partners and individuals with our mission,” noted Hess.
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Partners for Life: join the movement!
ImpactLife moves into its second year after the name change with renewed focus on engaging supporters as “Partners for Life,” an initiative that encompasses all the ways in which individuals can support the blood center’s mission.
Give Blood: You understand every donation matters. Giving blood is a way to help people, including those fighting cancer or undergoing surgery or involved in a trauma. It’s a simple way to make a big impact in your community.
Give as a Group: We can’t do it alone, and that’s where partners like you come into play. When we team up with your workplace, school, or church, together we can keep blood products on the shelves at community hospitals, ready at a moment’s notice.
Give Money: There’s more than one way to give! Our charitable partners help keep us on the cutting edge of medical technology. And much of the financial support we receive goes back to our community schools that host mobile donation events, to provide grants and cultivate the next generation of lifesavers.
Give Time: Volunteers are at the heart of what we do. Giving your time is a meaningful way to make a difference in your community. And there’s something for everyone, from helping transport blood to hospitals to helping donors in our canteens and everything in between.
Advance Medicine: Blood is medicine. At ImpactLife, we have opportunities for you to be part of lifechanging medical research. It’s an impactful way to help patients today and in the future.
Advocate: Our collective voice has the power to change the world. When you help amplify our message on social media and in our communities, you help patients get the lifesaving medicine they need to survive.
For more information, write to partners@impactlife.org or visit www.bloodcenter.org/partners for links to social media resources and to complete an online interest form for information on how to support the ImpactLife mission in each of the Partners for Life categories listed above.
About ImpactLife
ImpactLife is a not-for-profit community organization providing blood services to 125 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, as well as resource sharing partners across the country. Services extend from southcentral Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri and from Danville, Illinois to Chariton, Iowa. (See a map of the ImpactLife service region.) ImpactLife operates 22 Donor Centers and holds approximately 5000 mobile blood drives annually to provide blood components needed for patient transfusions at hospitals throughout our region.
For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube.
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