Blood Drive and Bed Nets

When we walked into the huge, airy ballroom with vaulted ceilings and big windows at 8:30am, we suddenly felt nervous about making sure we had the capacity to fill it. This week, we hosted a blood drive with the Interfaith Dialogue Club at the University of Chicago, where we connected local action with global change through blood and bed net donation. The blood drive was the first action event most of the students in the Interfaith Dialogue Club had ever helped to organize. While initially worried about the size of the space, by 10am, when the LifeSource facilitators, Interfaith Dialogue Club student leaders, and blood drive participants began to show up in full force, we were excited to see our ballroom occupied by dozens of religiously diverse people coming together to give blood and make an impact in Chicago. When things started to slow down toward the middle of the afternoon, the Interfaith Dialogue Club members got on their phones and started texting and calling people they knew to try and get them to come to the event and give blood. Their excitement for the cause was contagious, and we ended up surpassing our expected number of participants.

Malaria and blood donation have a natural connection: Malaria is a blood-borne disease that kills a child in sub-Saharan Africa every thirty seconds, and someone in the U.S. is in need of a blood donation every 2 seconds.  Even more, a blood donation can help save up to three lives, and providing a bed net can help save a family of up to four people. Connecting these two important causes not only makes sense, but it also made this local service project that much more meaningful for participants.  Local action for global change is an important tool for engagement, and it provides the opportunity for people to give back in both their own community and the global community.

Throughout the day, the hubbub of activity centered around the snack table -- those who had just donated blood spent at least 15 minutes there recuperating, and many more students stopped in to grab a refreshment and enjoy the company of friends. With all of the publicity material about malaria and Faiths Act, this space fostered frequent mini-conversations about interfaith work and the role of faith communities in achieving social justice.  One student, Paul, spoke about his atheism, mentioning that while he doesn't believe in a God-figure he believes in the goodness of people and that is what inspires him to be involved in interfaith projects like the blood drive.  Others, like Lauren, simply saw the blood drive signs while passing through the building, decided to come in and donate blood, and learned about interfaith action for the first time.  This blood drive served as both a platform for those who were already involved to organize their own event and a catalyst for learning for others.

On Monday, the Interfaith Dialogue Club and others who participated helped to save up to 200 lives. We are excited to have been a part of this effort.

Amy and Rebecca