According to information provided by the American Red Cross, one blood donation can save up to three lives, and someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds.
To help provide those needed supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff at The Claiborne Independent Living – a senior living community off of Veterans Memorial Drive – partnered with Vitalant to hold a blood drive March 11, with COVID antibody testing available with each donation.
“We feel it is important to show our commitment not only to our residents, but to find ways to be a part of the greater Hattiesburg community as well,” said Cathy Eaker, director of community relations at the Claiborne. “The majority of our residents have now had their second vaccine (shot), but we understand that we must remain vigilant.
“In this case, vigilance meant hosting a blood drive for friends, family and employees to help restock blood supplies to area hospitals. Donors also were able to find out their blood type, if they were not already aware, and will receive information on whether their donation contained antibodies from COVID-19.”
The event was hosted from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and was overseen by the Claiborne staff and John Sarra, who serves as donor recruitment representative for Vitalant.
“During that whole time, we had people coming in and out,” Eaker said. “So John was happy with the outcome as well, and any donation at all is great. We were happy with the results of the blood drive, and we are always looking for ways to be involved and give back.”
Officials got the idea for the blood drive – which is the first of its kind to be held at The Claiborne – after seeing the success of a drive held at The Claiborne facility in Gulfport.
“When I heard about that, I figured we could do something like that in Hattiesburg,” Eaker said. “So I got in touch with them and got it on the calendar, and got them to come out. I think we’d like to make it an annual thing.”
Sarra said donating blood is one of the easiest ways to give back to the community.
“There is currently a shortage from blood supplies, stemming from the months of social distancing and fewer blood drives over the last year,” he said.
Vitalant is a nonprofit organization that collects blood from volunteer donors and provides blood, blood products and services across the United States. It was founded in 1943 as the Salt River Valley Blood Bank in Phoenix, Arizona.
