We met with John Anthony Woods-Hutchins (JH) who shared his first volunteer experience at the Miller-Keystone Blood Center. John welcomed donors and donated blood himself, emphasizing its crucial role in supporting hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He found the experience fulfilling and encouraged others to participate in blood donation as a vital community service.
AC: What organization or local cause did you volunteer for?
JH: I volunteered at the Miller-Keystone Blood Center.
AC: Can you please provide an overview of their mission?
JH: The Miller-Keystone Blood Center takes volunteers to donate blood and other activities. It is a non-profit community blood center that provides over 30 hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
AC: Was this your first time volunteering for this organization or cause? Please elaborate.
JH: This was my very first-time volunteering in this capacity and cause.
AC: Where there any requirements for this type of volunteerism?
JH: I was required to fill out an exam to determine if I had any underlying issues that would disqualify me from donating to the center. Furthermore, to donate more of my time, I was requested to provide identification to greet other donors. Unfortunately, I was unable to take many pictures inside due to patient confidentiality, but I was able to take some!
AC: Why did you choose to volunteer here for your Day of Giving?
JH: Great question! On my last day of giving, I made an oath to help clean up the environment, the parks, and the neighborhoods around my area. After doing some thinking, I wanted to do something more focused on my brothers and sisters of the world. We don’t tend to think about how vital our blood is for human beings and living organisms. It is our life force; it flows through every single individual. We do not tend to think about what is inside our body, or how others can be impacted by blood loss, disease, etc. I wanted to give something this time around that was going to be vital for other human beings.
AC: Can you tell us about your volunteer experience? What did you do? Did your time volunteering meet your expectations?
JH: It fulfilled my experience in what I volunteered to do. I was able to greet other donors who we’re participating in that day to donate. I was also able to communicate with them once their procedure was completed for the center required 15-20 minutes of observation for any symptoms or signs. Along with this, I also had the honor of donating my blood to the center for those in need.
AC: What would you like to share to encourage others to volunteer their time and energy locally?
JH: Think about how vital blood is to you, and the human body. It flows through every cell, every inch of our body. You would never think how vital it is because it is naturally within us. Can you imagine those who have issues, concerns, or diseases with their blood? Think about this question for a second and think about our human body. Non-comparable to any of our organs as they are stationary, but our blood moves from our brain to our toes. Every inch of our body has the motion and life force of blood in it. Truly, think of those in need, they are not fighting a battle with simply one organ. They are fighting with their entire body. I truly recommend anyone, with the blessing of Activus’s Day of Giving, utilize this time! Go donate some blood! Your brothers’, sisters’, civilization needs you in one way or another, and for me, this was one of the best ways I could think of giving back. Truly, I’m grateful that I was able to give back to those in need, and I’m certain you will too!