With an unwavering commitment to save lives, the Church of God hosted its 1516th Blood Drive on July 22, 2024 in Belleville, NJ. The church partnered with the Vitalant Blood Center, who collected the blood donations. This blood drive celebrates the church’s 60 year anniversary, also commemorating World Blood Donor Day.
Church of God volunteers came from nearby locations, including Cranford, Ridgewood, and Bogota to donate blood. The goal was to donate 100 pints of blood. Ultimately, the volunteers donated 98 pints of blood, potentially saving up to 300 lives.
Several community leaders attended, including Vice President of the Essex County Board of Commisioners Tyshammie Cooper, Commissioner A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, and Belleville Councilman Frank Velez. The Belleville Police Department and Fire Department also attended to donate. News 12, one of New Jersey’s top news stations, covered the event.
The event began with a viewing of an introductory video which showcased the various volunteer efforts of the church worldwide. Moved by the unity of the volunteers, Mr. Velez shared a congratulatory message:
”I’m just really taken aback by the generosity, the grace, and really, the dedication of the people here. I think, when you come here, you’re just awestruck with the brightness… This is a team, a family, that really embraces the basics of caring for each other.”
After the opening remarks, the volunteers cheerfully lined up to give blood. The Vitalant Blood Center workers expressed that they were shocked at how many volunteers donated in one day.
Giving Hope Where it’s Needed the Most
The Church of God carries out large-scale blood drives worldwide. In 2015 the church’s Mega Blood Drive in New York broke the records for the most blood collected in an hour and most double red cells collected in a drive.
Similar to New York, New Jersey also has a critical need for blood donations. Although about 60% of the population of New Jersey is capable of donating blood, only about 3.6% of residents donate regularly. As a result, hospitals have recently experienced shortages in blood supply. This can interrupt life-saving treatments that require blood transfusions.
By hosting this blood drive, the volunteers of the Church of God in Belleville rose up to meet this challenge head on. Their efforts created a beam of hope and positivity during the summer blood shortage.
This event brought many members of the community together, and demonstrated the power of unity, which brings forth great achievements.
To view more volunteer events, please visit the activities page.
