FYM Foundation sponsors simultaneous blood donation in Texas
By VINCE T. BASCO
Date Posted: December 6, 2023
The Felix Y. Manalo (FYM) Foundation, Inc., the humanitarian arm of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), collaborated with the Ecclesiastical District of Texas in conducting simultaneous blood donations on November 4, 2023.
“We are hosting the blood drive in our district in four regions,” shared Azineth Buan, one of the brethren-volunteers with the FYM Foundation. Thus, Church members gathered at various venues throughout the state: Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center for those in Houston; Coastal Bend Blood Center (Corpus Christi); South Texas Blood and Tissue (San Antonio); and Carter Blood Care (Bedford). Medical staff of both the foundation and the said blood banks facilitated health screening processes. These the 109 volunteers passed and qualified as blood donors.
Such an endeavor is timely in the light of the September 11 declaration of the American Red Cross that there is a national blood shortage (redcross.org). “We always need people who are able to donate blood, as even just one type of incident can use up all our blood (supply) in our inventory,” Daniel White of Coastal Bend Blood Center explained.
“When brethren in our district heard the news that we will be holding this activity, they actively responded by registering their names to volunteer; they’re so willing to donate blood,” Virginio Ramilo II, district supervising minister, observed. “We have been taught of doing acts of kindness whenever we possibly can and by means of donating blood, we’re united in one way of saving lives.”
“It felt great that I’ve donated blood because this is important to help people who are in need of (blood transfusion),” Bernhardt Gonzaga, KADIWA member from the Local Congregation of Humble, expressed. — With reports from Lyle Maranan of INC News Section