LifeSouth Community Foundation BOD meeting

Last year our high school blood donors saved 64,500 lives.

Yesterday I traveled to Gainesville to attend the LifeSouth Community Foundation board of directors meeting. I am honored to serve on this Foundation Board which was created in 2011 to raise awareness about the need for blood donation in the communities LifeSouth Community Blood Centers serves.

My family are blood donators (thanks to my wife) and have been for over 30 years.  Last year LifeSouth collected more than 290,000 donors and provided more than 406,000 blood components to LifeSouth hospitals. This resulted in saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

I am also so proud of the work of our student donators do saving lives. Last year our high school blood donors saved 64,500 lives.

One of the areas of focus of the LifeSouth Foundation is its educational opportunities for schools and students. From High School Student Scholarships, School Grant Programs, HOSA Partnerships and Donations, classroom presentations, and much more.

What I am most excited about is a new LifeSouth Internship Program which is getting ready to be piloted locally. Senior high school students will have the opportunity to become a volunteer interns with LifeSouth, giving students the opportunity to work alongside LifeSouth employees learning the skills of phlebotomy. LifeSouth trainers will provide an education-based program designed to the student’s learning plan including online and hands-on training. Once students successfully complete the program and “graduate,” they may be offered a full-time donor services position with LifeSouth.  We will be sharing more details about eligibility and how to apply for this amazing opportunity in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

If you are a blood donator now, thank you for saving lives- If you would like to become a donator please come by any LifeSouth bus or center today!