January 24, 2025 • 17 mins
We spoke with CT and RI Red Cross CEO Richard Branigan about the need for blood donations in the state and in Los Angeles due to the wildfires.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guest today is Richard Brannigan. He is the chief executive
officer of the American Red Cross of Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Good morning, How are.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You morning, I'm well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Right out of the gate, let's talk about what's happening
in California and all of the disaster relief that you're doing.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Sure, so, we are in the process of responding to
the devastating wildfires in California. We have hundreds of Red
Crossers on the ground, more on the way from all
over the country, including right here in Connecticut, and those
folks are providing comfort. They're providing helping to provide meals
and a safe place for the residents' former residents to stay.
(00:44):
Communities are just devastated, so there's a lot of impact
on community mental health and so forth. So we're looking
to wrap that Red Cross a blanket around the community
in southern California. Right now.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I just read that Jay Leno was out there feeding
first responders. I don't know if you happen to see that.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The outpouring of community support has been absolutely amazing, and
we're proud to be part of that we do this relentlessly.
We're responding to disasters every day and every night, and
what we see is humanity stepping up and we're proud
to be part of that process.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
How long has the Red Cross been in existence now,
the American Red Cross.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Oh so one hundred and forty some odd years. We
were founded in eighteen eighty one by Clara Barton. Here
in Connecticut, I think we date back to eighteen ninety
seven was the first chapter in Connecticut, and we're very
proud of that tradition. And we've supported the military. We
provide international humanitarian law, education, training on first aid, CPR,
(01:46):
all of those things. And in Connecticut we are very
well known for our blood collection.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And let's talk about that. So January is National Blood
Donor Month. What is the need like in Connecticut for blood?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
In all areas of the country and Connecticut in particular
for us, is constant for blood. Patients need blood for surgeries,
trauma patients, blood products, different portions of blood, plasma, platelets.
The need for donors to step up and roll up
their sleeves as an ongoing one and there's never time
(02:22):
off from that. There are impacts to it, though, and
we see the holidays being a distraction from many people.
The schedules get busy, the schools are not in sessions,
so those high school blood drives and college blood drives
that we rely on are not part of our community
support during that period. So we're always interested in January
(02:45):
is a very good time for us to remind folks
that there is that opportunity to roll up your sleeve
and help someone and help save a life of someone.
You may not even even know, but you know people
in your own family who have benefited from life saving
blood products over the years, and you may know blood
donors yourselves or people who have benefited from that.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Is it because blood has a shelf life that people
have to constantly replenish and give blood again.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It is, and platelets have a very limited shelf life,
but blood donations are typically about fifty six days is
the shelf life, and we don't want to see it
get to that point in time. We want to have
an ongoing supply and we want to have people who
are stepping up to donate, and we make it very easy.
(03:37):
As we are talking about we're an old organization, but
we're really modern when it comes to technology and the
ease that we provide that experience. The Blood Donor app,
for example, people can download it free from the app Store,
and once they have it, they can find a blood
collection site or a blood drive near them just based
(03:58):
on their GPS, and they could sign up at their convenience.
They could also do something really interesting. It becomes their
digital blood donor card, so it tracks their donations. It
also tells the donor where their blood ends up. Oh wow,
which is really a unique thing. My last blood donation,
(04:19):
which I think was my fifth gallon of blood, I
crossed over that threshold and that donation ended up going
to a hospital here in Connecticut, so I was really
pleased to see the results of that. Stayed right here
in the.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
State, and there's nothing to it. We'll go through the process.
But the last time I gave blood, just quickly filled
out a little questionnaire and it was a tiny little pinch.
Was nothing. Mammogram's way worse other things women have to
go through. Took the blood, got a juice box, got
a cookie, and I felt like a million dollars because
(04:53):
I felt like, Wow, I'm helping humanity. It's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, that feeling afterwards and You're right, there is a
little bit of an inconvenience and very small in relative terms,
but there is that opportunity to do the pre screening
with that blood donor arap I was talking about, you
can do all those pre screenings. You get a barcode,
you know, when you come to donate, you we scan
(05:17):
it and you avoid a lot of what used to
be our red tape. And our red tape is because
we are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and
properly so, but our standards are very, very high. And
when we ask screening questions to make sure that our
potential donor is well enough to donate, we want to
(05:39):
make sure that they're in a good, good spot for themselves.
We can also provide feedback on their general.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Health conditions as well, which.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Is kind of neat for you to be able to
know your hemoglobin or you know your blood pressure, all
of those good things, and we encourage that healthy lifestyle
as well.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I didn't feel inconvenienced at all. Honestly, I thought it
was great. It was maybe about an hour of my time,
And as you said, I was interested, is my blood
pressure okay? Is this okay? Is that okay?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
For somebody who would like to donate blood, theyn go
to Redcross dot org. They can call one eight hundred
red Cross. They can download that app. Yes, what is
it called again.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
It's Red Cross Blood Donor App. Okay at the app store.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
And then let's go through the process. I said it
quickly they arrive, then what happens?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Sure, so hopefully they've downloaded the app and they come
in and they have their their QR code that shows
up on their phone. Our blood donor Ambassador scans that
as they come in and they're greeted, they have an
appointment to donate blood at a particular time, they're greeted.
(06:46):
Once they're through that preliminary process, they're greeted by a
phlebotomist that is highly trained and certified, and they will
walk them through the process. They'll do an update of
that medical information just to make sure that it's valid.
They'll take some additional vital signs like the blood pressure
and like the hemoglobin count, make sure that they're capable
(07:09):
of donating, and then they will take them through the
process to the table where they'll get them situated comfortable.
Some people will donate upright because they're more comfortable doing that,
and some people will lay down on the tables that
we have and then, as you said, the process takes
a few minutes to get set up, and once you
(07:31):
start donating blood, it could be anywhere from five to
ten to fifteen minutes. And then there's some minor band
aid that is put on and you're sent on your
way after that delicious juice box and those delicious cookies
and snacks that were famous for, and that's part of
the process. It's rehydration and water is part of that.
(07:56):
Before and after is always a good, good, recommended thing,
and taking care of yourself after a blood donation, not
doing anything too strenuously directly after, is always good practice.
So we provide some after care of guidance and then
folks are sent on their way. And you know, the
really great thing about donating blood is when you're finished
(08:18):
and you go over to that canteen area for that
famous juice box or a bottle of water, you're sitting
amongst other folks who have done the exact same thing,
and you all came in for different reasons. You all
came in because you had a person in mind that
you may be thinking of, and you donated in memory
of someone or someone who's going facing surgery, or because
(08:39):
you had surgery, or whatever the purpose is. You come
in with a sense of purpose and you leave with
that sense of satisfaction that you've accomplished something. And you
can't control many many things in our world. You know,
we have the devastation we talked about in California, and
that is so far beyond our control and it touches
(09:00):
our humanitarian heartstrings and we do the best we can.
But in donating blood, it really is an opportunity to
do something that helps someone. Again, you may not even
know that person. Likely you don't, but it helps someone
change their life for the better, and someone in need,
and it has ripple effects beyond that. But you're in
(09:21):
really good company with the donors, uh, And it's a
great feeling to have.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Do you know any personal stories that you could share
where someone did receive blood.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I'm a blood donor recipient. When I was a teenager,
I was in a motor vehicle accident, fairly serious. I
don't know how much blood I lost. I was in
the hospital for a week receiving transfusions, and a kindly
doctor saved my life on the way to the hospital,
and I'm here because of folks back then. And it's
(09:53):
been a while, but I'm here because someone back then
thought it was important to donate part of themselves so
that other people could have a chance to live. I'm
a beneficial I love that.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
And now you pay it forward, you actually work for them.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
I do. It's a great honor. My role is that
I get to represent an organization that is a world
wide humanitarian organization. Our fundamental principles are the same in Geneva, Switzerland,
and in Africa and in the Far East and Middle East.
They are the same worldwide. We're the largest nonprofit humanitarian
(10:28):
organization in the world. In America, we're the largest disaster responder.
We're so proud of that. Ninety percent of our workforce
is volunteer and so when people are looking for opportunities
to help and looking for an impact on their community,
they can turn to an organization like the Red Cross.
And I have the privilege and honor of representing the
(10:50):
Red Cross here today. But in my daily life, I
get to represent an organization and I believe in the mission,
and we are a humanitarian organization through and through that
relies on our steadfast volunteers who are just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
If someone would like to volunteer again, they could go
to Redcross dot org or call it the one eight
hundred Red Cross number.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Absolutely, we love our volunteers and they do everything for us.
They are leaders, they are motivators, they inspire us to
do others, and they're the ones that if someone has
a fire, and every day and every night here in
Connecticut we're responding to home fires and that first response
that comes is from a Red Cross volunteer when they
(11:35):
roll up and they have their disaster vest on. They
are there to bring hope to that family who's having
the worst.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Day of If someone would like to make a monetary donation,
could they do that also, they.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Can also do that, and they can do that at
any time. Again, we have a charter from Congress dating
back to the year nineteen hundred to respond to disasters
in the United States. We also support the military and
we provide international humanitarian leef as relief as needed. But
we're fueled by the generosity of the American public. We're
(12:08):
not funded for our disaster response by the government, and
sometimes people get confused with that. They think we are
aligned with FEMA, which we are, but FEMA is a
federally funded agency of the federal government. We are a
nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of our donors,
and our donors come from all walks of life. There
(12:30):
are corporate donors, there are individual donors. People who can
donate small amounts and large and large amounts. It doesn't matter.
Everyone is part of our community that fuels our mission
going forward.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Do you find that the older generations donate blood more?
I say this because my grandfather was in World War
Two and when he got home every fifty six days
or whenever, he became that donor and he shared that
with us. Do you find that younger generations maybe aren't
aware enough or no? Am I totally off base?
Speaker 2 (13:04):
No. I think the challenge for us is that there's
such a small percentage of eligible donors who actually donate,
regardless of age, and it's a constant opportunity and obligation
that we have to continue to educate folks on the process.
And as we're having this discussion, your listening audience is
(13:27):
hearing that they have the opportunity now that they hadn't
really thought about before. And it's not a great inconvenience
and it's just something that maybe has not occurred to
them before. And I think when we share things now,
our mechanisms for sharing information have changed over the years.
Where in your grandfather's day, it was you know, signing
(13:47):
up with the membership or the church blood drive down
the street. Now it's signing up online, using the apps
that we have available, finding out through social media, sharing
that information and and telling of the success stories, and
sharing the good feeling with each other about how we've
made a difference in the lives of other people.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Who would not be eligible to donate blood.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I think there's a number of criterion that we have
and it's really up to We have some information on
our website that would give people some general guidelines. Along
with downloading that app, it will give you some preliminary
questionnaires and some frequently asked questions. More importantly, but if
(14:34):
people want to talk to somebody, they can call that
one eight hundred number as well.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
And finally, if someone would like to host a blood drive,
what do they need to do?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, they would do the same thing. They would they
would go online. There's there's opportunities to sponsor blood drives.
We have a whole team assemble that will help orchestrate
those blood drives from start to finish. And you know,
it's always great when we can get to a community
that has an interest and can come together as a
(15:03):
team to accomplish something. And we've had the privilege, at
least I've had some the privilege of walking into some
blood drives where they're done in the memory of someone
or they're done in the spirit of someone who has
been inspiring in a particular community, and that energy in
the room, that sense of purpose is something you don't
(15:25):
see all the time. It just you have a huge
place in your heart that's opened up because you get
to experience that in that particular community.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
January is National Blood Donor Month, and as I understand,
there's an incentive to donate right now between January twenty
seventh and February twenty eighth.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Sure, so our current incentive is a fifteen dollars E
card for a successful donation. They receive that when they
get their their juice box and their water and their
cookies on the way out. But we're constantly looking at
opportunities and we have a number of sponsors that step
(16:05):
up on a rotating basis to continue to provide incentives
for folks to come forward.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
And it.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Shouldn't be the thing that determines whether you're going to
donate blood or not. But it is a nice thing
to have a gratitude extended from the community for that
service that you just provided. In providing that special gift
that's part of yourself. It's a nice enticement. But I
(16:33):
think the satisfaction of giving blood speaks for itself. I
think is a great opportunity to really feel good about
yourself and helping the community, helping people in need, and
there's so many things that are out of our control
in this world today. This is something we can all
do if we're healthy, and it doesn't take that much time.
(16:54):
It's not that great an inconvenience. We have all the
modern technology to support it and encourage people to do
that now and throughout the whole year.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Well said, wonderful. I'm speaking with Richard Brownigan. He's the
chief executive officer at the American Red Cross for Connecticut
and Rhode Island. Again, you can go to one eight
hundred Red Cross or Redcross dot org. Thank you for
being here, thank you for sharing your story and for
serving We appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
It's our pleasure. Thanks for helping our community.
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guest today is Richard Brannigan. He is the chief executive
officer of the American Red Cross of Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Good morning, How are.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You morning, I'm well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Right out of the gate, let's talk about what's happening
in California and all of the disaster relief that you're doing.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Sure, so, we are in the process of responding to
the devastating wildfires in California. We have hundreds of Red
Crossers on the ground, more on the way from all
over the country, including right here in Connecticut, and those
folks are providing comfort. They're providing helping to provide meals
and a safe place for the residents' former residents to stay.
(00:44):
Communities are just devastated, so there's a lot of impact
on community mental health and so forth. So we're looking
to wrap that Red Cross a blanket around the community
in southern California. Right now.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I just read that Jay Leno was out there feeding
first responders. I don't know if you happen to see that.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The outpouring of community support has been absolutely amazing, and
we're proud to be part of that we do this relentlessly.
We're responding to disasters every day and every night, and
what we see is humanity stepping up and we're proud
to be part of that process.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
How long has the Red Cross been in existence now,
the American Red Cross.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Oh so one hundred and forty some odd years. We
were founded in eighteen eighty one by Clara Barton. Here
in Connecticut, I think we date back to eighteen ninety
seven was the first chapter in Connecticut, and we're very
proud of that tradition. And we've supported the military. We
provide international humanitarian law, education, training on first aid, CPR,
(01:46):
all of those things. And in Connecticut we are very
well known for our blood collection.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And let's talk about that. So January is National Blood
Donor Month. What is the need like in Connecticut for blood?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
In all areas of the country and Connecticut in particular
for us, is constant for blood. Patients need blood for surgeries,
trauma patients, blood products, different portions of blood, plasma, platelets.
The need for donors to step up and roll up
their sleeves as an ongoing one and there's never time
(02:22):
off from that. There are impacts to it, though, and
we see the holidays being a distraction from many people.
The schedules get busy, the schools are not in sessions,
so those high school blood drives and college blood drives
that we rely on are not part of our community
support during that period. So we're always interested in January
(02:45):
is a very good time for us to remind folks
that there is that opportunity to roll up your sleeve
and help someone and help save a life of someone.
You may not even even know, but you know people
in your own family who have benefited from life saving
blood products over the years, and you may know blood
donors yourselves or people who have benefited from that.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Is it because blood has a shelf life that people
have to constantly replenish and give blood again.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It is, and platelets have a very limited shelf life,
but blood donations are typically about fifty six days is
the shelf life, and we don't want to see it
get to that point in time. We want to have
an ongoing supply and we want to have people who
are stepping up to donate, and we make it very easy.
(03:37):
As we are talking about we're an old organization, but
we're really modern when it comes to technology and the
ease that we provide that experience. The Blood Donor app,
for example, people can download it free from the app Store,
and once they have it, they can find a blood
collection site or a blood drive near them just based
(03:58):
on their GPS, and they could sign up at their convenience.
They could also do something really interesting. It becomes their
digital blood donor card, so it tracks their donations. It
also tells the donor where their blood ends up. Oh wow,
which is really a unique thing. My last blood donation,
(04:19):
which I think was my fifth gallon of blood, I
crossed over that threshold and that donation ended up going
to a hospital here in Connecticut, so I was really
pleased to see the results of that. Stayed right here
in the.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
State, and there's nothing to it. We'll go through the process.
But the last time I gave blood, just quickly filled
out a little questionnaire and it was a tiny little pinch.
Was nothing. Mammogram's way worse other things women have to
go through. Took the blood, got a juice box, got
a cookie, and I felt like a million dollars because
(04:53):
I felt like, Wow, I'm helping humanity. It's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, that feeling afterwards and You're right, there is a
little bit of an inconvenience and very small in relative terms,
but there is that opportunity to do the pre screening
with that blood donor arap I was talking about, you
can do all those pre screenings. You get a barcode,
you know, when you come to donate, you we scan
(05:17):
it and you avoid a lot of what used to
be our red tape. And our red tape is because
we are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and
properly so, but our standards are very, very high. And
when we ask screening questions to make sure that our
potential donor is well enough to donate, we want to
(05:39):
make sure that they're in a good, good spot for themselves.
We can also provide feedback on their general.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Health conditions as well, which.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Is kind of neat for you to be able to
know your hemoglobin or you know your blood pressure, all
of those good things, and we encourage that healthy lifestyle
as well.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I didn't feel inconvenienced at all. Honestly, I thought it
was great. It was maybe about an hour of my time,
And as you said, I was interested, is my blood
pressure okay? Is this okay? Is that okay?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
For somebody who would like to donate blood, theyn go
to Redcross dot org. They can call one eight hundred
red Cross. They can download that app. Yes, what is
it called again.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
It's Red Cross Blood Donor App. Okay at the app store.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
And then let's go through the process. I said it
quickly they arrive, then what happens?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Sure, so hopefully they've downloaded the app and they come
in and they have their their QR code that shows
up on their phone. Our blood donor Ambassador scans that
as they come in and they're greeted, they have an
appointment to donate blood at a particular time, they're greeted.
(06:46):
Once they're through that preliminary process, they're greeted by a
phlebotomist that is highly trained and certified, and they will
walk them through the process. They'll do an update of
that medical information just to make sure that it's valid.
They'll take some additional vital signs like the blood pressure
and like the hemoglobin count, make sure that they're capable
(07:09):
of donating, and then they will take them through the
process to the table where they'll get them situated comfortable.
Some people will donate upright because they're more comfortable doing that,
and some people will lay down on the tables that
we have and then, as you said, the process takes
a few minutes to get set up, and once you
(07:31):
start donating blood, it could be anywhere from five to
ten to fifteen minutes. And then there's some minor band
aid that is put on and you're sent on your
way after that delicious juice box and those delicious cookies
and snacks that were famous for, and that's part of
the process. It's rehydration and water is part of that.
(07:56):
Before and after is always a good, good, recommended thing,
and taking care of yourself after a blood donation, not
doing anything too strenuously directly after, is always good practice.
So we provide some after care of guidance and then
folks are sent on their way. And you know, the
really great thing about donating blood is when you're finished
(08:18):
and you go over to that canteen area for that
famous juice box or a bottle of water, you're sitting
amongst other folks who have done the exact same thing,
and you all came in for different reasons. You all
came in because you had a person in mind that
you may be thinking of, and you donated in memory
of someone or someone who's going facing surgery, or because
(08:39):
you had surgery, or whatever the purpose is. You come
in with a sense of purpose and you leave with
that sense of satisfaction that you've accomplished something. And you
can't control many many things in our world. You know,
we have the devastation we talked about in California, and
that is so far beyond our control and it touches
(09:00):
our humanitarian heartstrings and we do the best we can.
But in donating blood, it really is an opportunity to
do something that helps someone. Again, you may not even
know that person. Likely you don't, but it helps someone
change their life for the better, and someone in need,
and it has ripple effects beyond that. But you're in
(09:21):
really good company with the donors, uh, And it's a
great feeling to have.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Do you know any personal stories that you could share
where someone did receive blood.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I'm a blood donor recipient. When I was a teenager,
I was in a motor vehicle accident, fairly serious. I
don't know how much blood I lost. I was in
the hospital for a week receiving transfusions, and a kindly
doctor saved my life on the way to the hospital,
and I'm here because of folks back then. And it's
(09:53):
been a while, but I'm here because someone back then
thought it was important to donate part of themselves so
that other people could have a chance to live. I'm
a beneficial I love that.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
And now you pay it forward, you actually work for them.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
I do. It's a great honor. My role is that
I get to represent an organization that is a world
wide humanitarian organization. Our fundamental principles are the same in Geneva, Switzerland,
and in Africa and in the Far East and Middle East.
They are the same worldwide. We're the largest nonprofit humanitarian
(10:28):
organization in the world. In America, we're the largest disaster responder.
We're so proud of that. Ninety percent of our workforce
is volunteer and so when people are looking for opportunities
to help and looking for an impact on their community,
they can turn to an organization like the Red Cross.
And I have the privilege and honor of representing the
(10:50):
Red Cross here today. But in my daily life, I
get to represent an organization and I believe in the mission,
and we are a humanitarian organization through and through that
relies on our steadfast volunteers who are just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
If someone would like to volunteer again, they could go
to Redcross dot org or call it the one eight
hundred Red Cross number.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Absolutely, we love our volunteers and they do everything for us.
They are leaders, they are motivators, they inspire us to
do others, and they're the ones that if someone has
a fire, and every day and every night here in
Connecticut we're responding to home fires and that first response
that comes is from a Red Cross volunteer when they
(11:35):
roll up and they have their disaster vest on. They
are there to bring hope to that family who's having
the worst.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Day of If someone would like to make a monetary donation,
could they do that also, they.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Can also do that, and they can do that at
any time. Again, we have a charter from Congress dating
back to the year nineteen hundred to respond to disasters
in the United States. We also support the military and
we provide international humanitarian leef as relief as needed. But
we're fueled by the generosity of the American public. We're
(12:08):
not funded for our disaster response by the government, and
sometimes people get confused with that. They think we are
aligned with FEMA, which we are, but FEMA is a
federally funded agency of the federal government. We are a
nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of our donors,
and our donors come from all walks of life. There
(12:30):
are corporate donors, there are individual donors. People who can
donate small amounts and large and large amounts. It doesn't matter.
Everyone is part of our community that fuels our mission
going forward.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Do you find that the older generations donate blood more?
I say this because my grandfather was in World War
Two and when he got home every fifty six days
or whenever, he became that donor and he shared that
with us. Do you find that younger generations maybe aren't
aware enough or no? Am I totally off base?
Speaker 2 (13:04):
No. I think the challenge for us is that there's
such a small percentage of eligible donors who actually donate,
regardless of age, and it's a constant opportunity and obligation
that we have to continue to educate folks on the process.
And as we're having this discussion, your listening audience is
(13:27):
hearing that they have the opportunity now that they hadn't
really thought about before. And it's not a great inconvenience
and it's just something that maybe has not occurred to
them before. And I think when we share things now,
our mechanisms for sharing information have changed over the years.
Where in your grandfather's day, it was you know, signing
(13:47):
up with the membership or the church blood drive down
the street. Now it's signing up online, using the apps
that we have available, finding out through social media, sharing
that information and and telling of the success stories, and
sharing the good feeling with each other about how we've
made a difference in the lives of other people.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Who would not be eligible to donate blood.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I think there's a number of criterion that we have
and it's really up to We have some information on
our website that would give people some general guidelines. Along
with downloading that app, it will give you some preliminary
questionnaires and some frequently asked questions. More importantly, but if
(14:34):
people want to talk to somebody, they can call that
one eight hundred number as well.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
And finally, if someone would like to host a blood drive,
what do they need to do?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, they would do the same thing. They would they
would go online. There's there's opportunities to sponsor blood drives.
We have a whole team assemble that will help orchestrate
those blood drives from start to finish. And you know,
it's always great when we can get to a community
that has an interest and can come together as a
(15:03):
team to accomplish something. And we've had the privilege, at
least I've had some the privilege of walking into some
blood drives where they're done in the memory of someone
or they're done in the spirit of someone who has
been inspiring in a particular community, and that energy in
the room, that sense of purpose is something you don't
(15:25):
see all the time. It just you have a huge
place in your heart that's opened up because you get
to experience that in that particular community.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
January is National Blood Donor Month, and as I understand,
there's an incentive to donate right now between January twenty
seventh and February twenty eighth.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Sure, so our current incentive is a fifteen dollars E
card for a successful donation. They receive that when they
get their their juice box and their water and their
cookies on the way out. But we're constantly looking at
opportunities and we have a number of sponsors that step
(16:05):
up on a rotating basis to continue to provide incentives
for folks to come forward.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
And it.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Shouldn't be the thing that determines whether you're going to
donate blood or not. But it is a nice thing
to have a gratitude extended from the community for that
service that you just provided. In providing that special gift
that's part of yourself. It's a nice enticement. But I
(16:33):
think the satisfaction of giving blood speaks for itself. I
think is a great opportunity to really feel good about
yourself and helping the community, helping people in need, and
there's so many things that are out of our control
in this world today. This is something we can all
do if we're healthy, and it doesn't take that much time.
(16:54):
It's not that great an inconvenience. We have all the
modern technology to support it and encourage people to do
that now and throughout the whole year.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Well said, wonderful. I'm speaking with Richard Brownigan. He's the
chief executive officer at the American Red Cross for Connecticut
and Rhode Island. Again, you can go to one eight
hundred Red Cross or Redcross dot org. Thank you for
being here, thank you for sharing your story and for
serving We appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
It's our pleasure. Thanks for helping our community.
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