Blood Drive - A Flow of Love: Northern California
On July 20, 2024, members of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization (SSSIO) - USA in Northern California conducted a blood drive in conjunction with a vibrant Young Adult offering of 99 devotional songs for the upcoming Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s 99th birthday. With active recruitment by Sai volunteers, forty-five blood donors stepped forward and donated 28 units of blood, with the potential of saving about 84 lives, a truly remarkable turnout!
In the words of one of the organizers, “We had always wanted to expand service activities in the healthcare area. When this opportunity to host a blood drive arose, we were truly excited. The date for the blood drive was locked in, but we needed three things - a venue, a healthcare partner to collect blood and volunteers. The venue was easily secured, but finding a partner was harder than we thought it would be! We approached three organizations. After a long process of finding the right contact in each organization, we were told by two of the organizations that the proposed date would not work.
With divine grace and to our immense relief, Stanford Blood Center, a prestigious health organization in the area, agreed. With the venue, partner, and date confirmed, we spread the word, not only to our Sai membership but also to the local community. About 45 blood donors came forward! I personally found it incredibly fulfilling to donate blood and help organize this blood drive.”.
A blood donor shared their journey from anxiety to fulfillment: “Initially, I was anxious and nervous since it was my first time. As I arrived at the location, chanting Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s name, my fear dissolved into a deep sense of gratitude and happiness, knowing I would be saving someone's life. I felt pure love and gratitude toward my Divine Teacher, along with a strong sense of accomplishment and pride in helping others."
The Stanford Blood Center team was impressed with the turnout! They were extremely helpful, staying beyond their appointed duration to accommodate all the volunteers.
May this be the first of many successful blood drives in the region! Blood donations are essential to help patients undergoing several medical treatments, ranging from traumatic injury and surgery to long-term illnesses. As there is a never-ending need for blood and blood products, regular donations from eligible donors are critical to successful recovery and can even save lives.
May we continue to support life with a generous flow of love!