Spartanburg Churches Host Blood Drives

The “Ecumenical Blood Drive” group is an influential collaboration made up of seven churches in Spartanburg County: Trinity United Methodist Church, St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Episcopal Church of the Advent, Westminster Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church, and St. John’s Lutheran Church. Together, they host blood drives at their churches to support area hospitals. At their most recent blood drive this month, the churches collectively donated almost 200 pints of blood, which has the potential to save almost 600 lives. Over the past year, the group helped save approximately 6,000 lives through its other blood drive donations.

“The joy of knowing that every ounce donated directly impacts the lives of those receiving is a monumental driving force that serves as encouragement for me to influence as many people as possible to donate,” says Beth Cecil, spokesperson for the group.

The drives are held on the same Sunday multiple times a year and are open to members and nonmembers of each church. Cecil likes to think of donating as a form of mission work, a way to inclusively serve the community. “Not everyone can travel globally or make time to volunteer locally during working hours. However, through giving blood, everyone has the opportunity to be involved in outreach mission work. No check has to be written, no time lost from work or time taken away from family…There are no barriers, only the love for one another to work together for our fellow man.”

TBC’s President and CEO, Delisa English, recently presented to current and new members of the group at First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, thanking them for their continued efforts.

“The Blood Connection is immensely honored to partner with the Spartanburg Ecumenical Group providing the opportunity for their members to impact lives of those in their community through the gift of a blood donation. This is a unique example of how a collaboration like this can be both successful and impactful,” says English.

The cold, winter months along with the inevitable flu season make the blood supply particularly vulnerable. As donations decline, the need for blood tends to rise. TBC’s mission is to ensure all hospital partners have the blood supplies needed for patients at any given time. On average, it takes more than 500 blood donations per day to maintain an adequate blood supply. English says an unexpected trauma can require 20 pints of blood or more. If there happens to be multiple traumas that require blood, the community supply could be dramatically reduced.

Cancer patients are usually the number one recipients of blood, but blood is also needed for burn victims, premature infants, car accident victims, heart surgery patients and organ transplant patients.

Those patients and future ones rely on groups like the Spartanburg Ecumenical Blood Drive. Their success is proof of a strong love for their community. TBC is so appreciative for the group’s huge impact and hopes other organizations will take the challenge to collaborate too.

Faith-based organizations also have the opportunity to receive grants.