MEMPHIS, Tenn. — NEWS RELEASE FROM VITALANT AND THE MID-SOUTH FOOD BANK
Save Lives, Feed Families with Vitalant and the Mid-South Food Bank
This August, your blood donation will do twice the good
One out of every seven patients in Memphis-area hospitals will need blood as part of their care and treatment. Meanwhile, more than 320,000 people in the Mid-South do not have access to enough nutritious food to live a healthy life. Vitalant and the Mid-South Food Bank have teamed up to make a difference this August. From August 2 to August 31, 2021, for every blood donation made to Vitalant, $10 will be donated to the Mid-South Food Bank up to $10,000 thanks to a sponsorship from Cigna and Accredo. To learn more and schedule your appointment to donate, visit www.midsouthfoodbank.org/savefamilies or call 877-25-VITAL.
Double the impact
Your blood donation can not only save up to three lives, but for the same unit of blood, Vitalant will pass on $10 to Mid-South Food Bank to provide thirty nutritious meals to local families. If 1,000 people donate blood with Vitalant during the month of August, the total impact will save more than 1,000 lives and provide 30,000 meals in the Memphis metro area. Mid-South Food Bank and Vitalant are extremely grateful to Cigna and Accredo. Their generous support is making twice the impact in the community by helping Vitalant save lives through critically needed blood donations and by providing funds to provide nutritious meals to feed families in our community.
Make giving back part of your routine
As people get ready to go back to regular routines, whether it’s back to school or the office, Vitalant urges blood donors to include blood donation on that to-do list. Vitalant encourages donors to schedule an appointment at a Vitalant donation center or an alternate community blood drive if their regular workplace, school or place of worship blood drive is canceled.
Type O blood in short supply
Blood usage by patients has increased as people take care seek medical care they put off during the height of the pandemic and as people resume activities that can lead to more traumas. The need for type O blood is especially critical. Type O is the most transfused blood type. O-negative is what emergency room personnel reach for when there is not time to determine a patient’s blood type.
No waiting period for COVID-19 vaccinated donors
People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to give blood if they meet all general blood donation eligibility criteria. Vitalant follows strict protocols to ensure the safety of donors, patients, and staff, including social distancing and other precautions. Face masks are required for all donors where state or local jurisdictions or blood drive hosts mandate. Otherwise, masks are only required for donors who are not fully vaccinated.
About Vitalant
Vitalant (“Vye-TAL-ent”) is the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit blood services provider exclusively focused on providing lifesaving blood and comprehensive transfusion medicine services for about 900 hospitals and their patients across the U.S. Every day, Vitalant needs to collect about 5,300 blood, platelet and plasma donations to help save lives. For more information and to schedule a donation appointment, visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). Follow us on social media: @VitalantSouth
About Mid-South Food Bank
Mid-South Food Bank's Mission is to change lives by eliminating hunger in the Mid-South. Food is distributed through a network of partner agencies and through programs for children, families and seniors. The Food Bank's response to the coronavirus pandemic has increased food distribution to record levels. Since March 12, 2020, more than 56 million pounds of food has been distributed to those in need in 31 counties in west Tennessee, north Mississippi and east Arkansas. For more information, visit www.midsouthfoodbank.org.