The first time Bill Cell, 85, donated blood was in 1946. Back then, phlebotomists thanked him for his donation with a shot of bourbon and $25. But even when the liquor-and-cash incentives dried up, Cell continued to donate. “They’ll tell me what my blood went for, like a cancer patient or an accident victim,” Cell told the Denver Post, explaining why he continues to give as much as he does. “I have met a couple of people who needed it.”
Starting in 1969, Bonfils Blood Center in Denver, where Cell makes his donations, began logging how much people contributed. This week, Cell set the record for the center, having donated 85 gallons of A+ blood since the center began keeping track. He beats the next highest donor by 15 gallons, and he has no plans to quit anytime soon. Since 1990, he’s given a pint of blood at least once every two weeks — a rate that the center’s supervisor notes is possible for most healthy adults. And, yet, only about 4% of Americans give blood, with donations dropping off during the holidays. So if you’re looking for an easy way to make a potentially life-saving difference in another person’s life, now’s the time.
Tag: community service
This Hero Wanted to Do More Than Alleviate Homelessness. He’s Preventing It.
Attorney Evan Hull has witnessed how homelessness can tear families apart. As board vice president of Vancouver’s Open House Ministries, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing and job training for homeless families, Hull has seen kids drop out of school and parents lose custody over not being able to pay their bills. So instead of just continuing to help the homeless, Hull decided he would go a step further and try to prevent families from losing their homes in the first place.
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Through volunteering at Washington Elementary School, Hull found his first beneficiary, a single mother of two girls. He helped her pay her bills in exchange for community service, allowing her to stay in her home. Next, Hull focused his efforts on Shannon Lindberg, a former addict who was trying to regain custody of her children. Hull helped her pay off her rent twice, also in exchange for community service. In October, the court granted her custody of her 11-year-old daughter, who had been in foster care for nearly three years. Now, Hull is looking for his next beneficiary. He’s proof that an ordinary citizen can do extraordinary things.
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One 12-Year-Old’s Feet-First Mission to Help the Homeless
Henry Allen, 12, understands that there’s nothing worse than having cold feet in the winter. So for a school project, he started collecting shoes and socks for a local homeless shelter. One charity dodgeball tournament and 415 donated pairs of shoes later, Allen made a big difference to the neediest members of his community.
This Air Force Veteran Couldn’t Fix His Roof, But He Still Had a Reason to Smile.
Several players for the Miami Dolphins recently pitched in to help 61-year-old Air Force veteran Eddie Smith repair his home. The Dolphins were matched with Smith through Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit that provides free home repairs for low-income Americans. Defensive back Brent Grimes and other Dolphins helped paint the outside of Smith’s house, and more repairs are scheduled throughout the month.