Please read the following on how to assist Red Cross disaster response efforts:
Elon Volunteers! has been in contact with the American Red Cross in response to yesterday’s tragedy. Many students have come forward wanting to donate blood to send to NY and DC. Our contact at the Red Cross has said that while there is an urgent need for blood, there is also an on-going need. They have decided not to schedule an emergency blood drive in addition to the ones they already have planned. Part of the reason for this is that they believe that spacing out blood drives is very important. The local chapter sent 600 units of blood to NY yesterday, and they said that would not have been possible unless they spaced out the timing of the blood drives the way they do. We do have a blood drive scheduled on campus for early October, and the Red Cross wants to ensure that our students, faculty and staff are still able to participate in that drive, when blood will still be needed. (Donors must wait 8 weeks in between donations.)
What you can do now:
The local Red Cross office has been flooded with phone calls and has set up a disaster relief phone line to handle the calls. They need two volunteers from 8:30am-4:30pm this week to handle those calls. They also need volunteers to help at community blood drives that had already been scheduled and are expecting lots of donors.
Please contact EV! at x7250 or in Moseley 230 to sign up for a volunteer shift. Also, continue to check e-net for updated information about other volunteer needs. Thank you for your willingness to help those in need.