Empowering the Next Generation of Lifesavers: LifeSouth Community Foundation’s Mission

This past Thursday, I had the privilege of traveling to Gainesville for the annual meeting of the LifeSouth Community Foundation Board of Directors. It is an honor to serve on the board of this foundation, whose primary mission is to inspire the next generation of blood donors through education initiatives. The foundation is dedicated to educating K-12 students about the science of blood, the importance of community responsibility in donating, and providing support to schools that host blood drives. Moreover, the LifeSouth Community Foundation recognizes and rewards high school students who demonstrate outstanding advocacy for blood donation.

The LifeSouth Community Foundation operates as part of the broader LifeSouth Community Blood Center family, whose services extend to more than 650 cities in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. At the heart of our mission is the belief that blood donation is a vital and ongoing need, and it is essential to cultivate a new generation of lifelong donors. The youth of today are the future of meeting our blood requirements.

One of the key programs that I am particularly proud to have helped influence is the LifeSouth Volunteer Internship Program, which was introduced as a pilot initiative in Citrus County last year. During the board meeting, Kimberly E. Kinsell, President & CEO of LifeSouth, spent a substantial amount of time discussing this program with the other board members. The internship program was initially launched with three HOSA (future medical professional) students from the Academy of Health Careers at Crystal River High School in the spring of 2023. These students dedicated 80 hours to learning about every aspect of the blood donation process, with the ultimate goal of inspiring them to consider a career in blood banking.

During the meeting, President Kinsell discussed various youth-focused programs and notably emphasized the Citrus County LifeSouth Kids Marathon. She underscored that, when considering all programs across the board, none rival the level of participation anticipated this year, with an impressive 1,000 students expected to take part in the Citrus County LifeSouth Kids Marathon. Remarkably, this event, hosted in a relatively small county, outshines similar events in significantly larger cities such as Atlanta and Gainesville. The board members promptly commended the exceptional efforts in Citrus County, hailing it as an exemplary model for programs within the broader LifeSouth system.

The annual meeting of the LifeSouth Community Foundation Board of Directors highlighted the organization’s continued commitment to educating and inspiring the next generation of blood donors. The success of the LifeSouth Volunteer Internship Program and the Citrus County LifeSouth Kids Marathon in particular serves as a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in this important mission. As we move forward, we are determined to expand these initiatives across all LifeSouth regions to ensure a future where blood needs are met, thanks to the contributions of young donors who have been inspired to make a difference.

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