Community service

[Kacey]

How many of you perform any type of community service? Is so, why? And what? If not, why not?

I'll start - I donate blood regularly, to the extent that when I went in today I was given my 7 gallon pin; that's 56 donations of 1 pint each. Unless sick or otherwise unable to go to the blood bank, I donate every 8 weeks (the minimum time between donations), and have done so for years. I do not receive money for these donations, although Bonfils (the blood bank I donate to) does push the snacks and drinks they stock for donors rather heavily. I donate blood because it is my way of giving back to the community, one that many people don't do, and that I feel is important.

By the way - this has nothing to do with MA, although I know many arts/associations/etc. encourage community service - I've been donating blood since I was a teen, but only in the last several years, when they automated their appointment system, was I able to get onto a consistent schedule instead of going in when I remembered it had been long enough.

 

[J-Man]

I think that is great that you donate blood on such a regular basis. I wish I could say that I do, but I don't...I probably average 2-4 times per year. My wife is much better at that then I am. I do, however, volunteer from time to time at a local homeless shelter for displaced families. I guess I do it because I can and I have the time. I think I will look into giving blood more often...you have inspired me.

 

[matt.m]

I give to Toys for Tots every year without exception.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Unless sick or otherwise unable to go to the blood bank, I donate every 8 weeks (the minimum time between donations), and have done so for years

You should go with the double-red donation. It takes a lot longer because they have to centrifuge out the red blood cells and put the rest back into your arm along with some compensatory fluids, but the resulting two units of blood are much more useful. It cuts down your donations because you can only give every 16 weeks, instead of every 8, but the blood you give is more than twice as useful so if you can handle a 45 minute donation every 16 weeks over a 10 minute donation every 8, it really helps out. Just a thought, I was at a place that did that for O-types until they switched to recommending it for everyone so I switched over.

 

[terryl965]

Well everything I and the family does includes the school we volunteer at a retirement center twice a month, pick up trash along the roadways once a month, also have food and clohtes drive twice a year and have two kick-a-thons for the homeless shelter in our community. Should I forget toys for tots and we sponsor childern over seas.
Terry

 

[Makalakumu]

Every year my entire family donates a week of our time to act as a resource family at the Family Camp that I've been going to since I was a kid. We offer all sorts of programming and community building stuff that helps families link up and form tight communities over the course of the week. This is something I really believe in and my family really enjoys this type of work. This also sets a good precedent for future work when they are older. My plan is to take them overseas for some voluteer work.

 

[Kacey]

Unless sick or otherwise unable to go to the blood bank, I donate every 8 weeks (the minimum time between donations), and have done so for years

You should go with the double-red donation. It takes a lot longer because they have to centrifuge out the red blood cells and put the rest back into your arm along with some compensatory fluids, but the resulting two units of blood are much more useful. It cuts down your donations because you can only give every 16 weeks, instead of every 8, but the blood you give is more than twice as useful so if you can handle a 45 minute donation every 16 weeks over a 10 minute donation every 8, it really helps out. Just a thought, I was at a place that did that for O-types until they switched to recommending it for everyone so I switched over.

Actually, I asked about that (I've given platelets in the past, too) and this particular blood bank actually has a greater need for whole blood, as they're one of the banks supplying the armed forces in the Middle East, and that's what they've been getting requests for.

 

[modarnis]

I have co-coordinated the emergency medical response (putting my old paramedic career to some use) for the Connecticut Special Olympics Summer Games for the past 10 years. This year, almost 2600 Special Athletes competed over 3 days. We staff a volunteeer corp of doctors, nurses, paramedics and EMT's 24/7 during the games.

I have in the past banged nails and done work on a few Habitat houses. During the holidays , the prosecutor's office I work in collects toys and food for children in our community, and the extended community serviced by the regional children's hospital

Volunteer work fits into a variety of schedules, needs a variety of skills, from very simple to ultra specialized, and provides some great benefits: making new friends/network contacts, utilizing personal strengths and overcoming weaknesses.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I have done community service befor the court said I had to.

However when it was over i went to the church where i was doing the service and taught a self defnce course for the ladies in the area. That was interesting because i did not spealk their lanquage