For the month of March, the Blood Bank of Delmarva will donate on behalf of blood donors to Food Bank of Delaware
GLASGOW, Del. – Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) is partnering with the Food Bank of Delaware for their Save 1, Feed 1 campaign. For the month of March, BBD will be donating $1 to Food Bank of Delaware on behalf of every presenting blood donor who registers to make a donation in their honor.
According to Food Bank of Delaware, 114,190 Delawareans are food insecure, which is equivalent to about 11 percent of the state population. Approximately 1 in 9 Diamond State residents rely on the charity food system, despite most of these people being from families in which at least one person is working.
Unfortunately, children are more likely to be in poverty and face food insecurity – namely 1 in 6 Delaware children.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Food Bank of Delaware for this campaign, as there are so many similarities in the life saving work that both of our organizations do every day,” said Patty Killeen, Senior Executive Director at Blood Bank of Delmarva. “Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a chronic shortage of blood, as well as a dramatic increase in the need for food bank services. We hope that this partnership is able to help both of our organizations to provide essential services to Delawareans.”
The issue food banks are facing is not a lack of food per se, but rather the challenge of transporting food to where it is needed most. Monetary donations are essential in paying for the transportation and storage of food. A mere $1 donation can provide an incredible 3 meals to those in need as food banks are able to buy food by the truckload as opposed to paying retail price. Therefore, each blood donation throughout the duration of this campaign has the ability to both save up to 3 lives and provide 3 meals to Delawareans facing food insecurity.
About 40 percent of the food we create in the U.S. is never eaten, adding up to billions of pounds of food waste annually according to the National Resources Defense Council. Food waste is the single biggest source of methane, a very powerful climate change agent.
“We are grateful to partner with the Blood Bank of Delmarva on this important initiative,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky. “We are better when we work together, and I can’t think of a better partner. We know that the low blood supply and increased demands for food assistance are both critical issues our community faces. For me, this is a win-win for both banks!”
To make an appointment at a blood drive near you, donors can call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8 or visit delmarvablood.org/save1feed1.
Donating blood is safe and only takes one hour. We are taking extra precautions to help prevent the person-to-person spread of COVID-19. All BBD staff are vaccinated. As always, people are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms. People can donate blood regardless of vaccination status. Additional information on donor eligibility and COVID-19 precautions is available here.
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About Blood Bank of Delmarva: Founded in 1954, Blood Bank of Delmarva is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community blood bank with a simple mission: saving lives. The Blood Bank of Delmarva achieves its mission by providing safe blood and blood products to all 19 hospitals in Delmarva and relies on 80,000 volunteer blood donors each year to ensure patients’ needs are met. The Blood Bank of Delmarva distributes over 130,000 blood products annually and operates four donor centers. Each year, the Blood Bank of Delmarva normally hosts over 600 blood drives. These blood drives would not be possible without the commitment of community organizations that volunteer to serve as sponsors or coordinators, which provides opportunities for blood donors to give blood and help patients in need. BBD is a New York Blood Center Enterprises affiliate and a member of AABB and ABC. For more information, please visit delmarvablood.org or follow us at facebook.com/delmarvabloodbank.
About Food Bank of Delaware: A member of Feeding America, the Food Bank of Delaware’s mission is to provide nutritious foods to Delawareans in need and facilitate long-term solutions to the problems of hunger and poverty through community outreach and advocacy. For more information, please visit Food Bank of Delaware (fbd.org).
