Summer Blood Drive Sunday, July 7th, 2002

Charlene Kapp on a recent trip to South Africa

On Sunday, July 7th, they came - with equipment and information and personnel - to draw some precious units of life giving blood. The people of St. Joans responded, literally "rolling up their sleeves" to help in the post holiday need for replenished supplies. Memorial Blood Center has been coming here ever since Becky Rose, a member of our parish and a technoligist at the Blood Center, decided this was a likely place to gather some much needed units. Soon after Becky's genesis, Charlene Kapp became associated with the twice yearly effort. Charlene now coordinates the donors, recruiting and reminding us to show up.

Hospitality Hall(or the bloodmobile during Sunday School season) is a regular beehive of activity on donor day - with interviewers talking to each potential donor, parish members completing their medical history forms, cookie and juice snacking for donors in addition to the actual drawing at several stations throughout the room. And, of course, the ever present bantering and friendly conversations of parishioners contributing and feeling good about it.

We usually have two drives a year, near the winter holidays and after the 4th of July mayhem. The Blood Center needs 300 units a day, on average, to supply the hospitals with whom they contract. Keeping that supply is an ongoing challenge as only 5% of the population donates in any given year. St. Joan's commits to donate 68 units and 72 members arrived to fulfill the quota this time. There were apprehensive first time clients and lots of seasoned folks to prove that you can recover. An individual can donate four times a year.

Jean Jachman is a consummate volunteer. Jean pitches in at the parish office, waits tables at Cabaret, and contacts and schedules the readers for masses. All that and a career as a nurse that included time in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Cambodia border.

Call 612.871.3300 to make an appointment at a collection site near you, and be sure to join the throng the next time Memorial Blood Center brings their roadshow to our place.