January is Volunteer Blood Donor and Mentor Month

January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month.  It will hurt a little, but statistics from the Red Cross show a 10% decrease in the amount of blood being donated.  Chaotic weather trends and an increase in the flu have prevented people who are willing to donate from donating.

Did you know that one blood donation saves 3 lives on average? According to the Red Cross, someone in the US needs blood every 2 SECONDS!

While 100 pints of blood can be used to save a car accident victim, blood is not just needed for accident victims.  Sickle cell disease affects 80,000 people in the US and those affected require blood transfusions throughout their lives.  The American Red Cross reports that more than 1 million people diagnosed with cancer a year, and many of them will need blood on a daily basis while undergoing chemotherapy.  As far as medical technology has advanced, labs still cannot produce blood.  Hospital most often require type AB and type O blood.

If you’d like to support National Volunteer Blood Donor Month in ways other than donating blood, you can host a blood drive or otherwise volunteer.  To learn more about how you can donate blood or volunteer at a blood drive, visit: http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation

January is National Mentoring Month

Since 2002, January has officially been recognized as National Mentoring Month.  When people hear the word ‘mentor’, they imagine an adult providing guidance to a child, but there are many unique mentoring opportunities including not only school children but also faith-based mentoring, and professional development. To find local partners, and get involved, visit: http://www.mentoring.org

The 2013 National Mentoring Summit will be hosted in Washington DC in late January and this year’s theme is “Mentoring Works: Inspire. Achieve. Advocate” Details can be found at the Summit’s website: http://www.mentoring.org/summit_2013

Whether its giving blood, setting up a blood drive, or giving someone your time, start 2013 out on a positive note by helping spread the word about these crucial yet simple ways to give back!