When we think of Sunday morning church services, donating blood isn’t something you expect to hear discussed. But the members of Pleasant Ridge Church held a blood drive April 24, and members donated before or after Sunday services.
Pastor Joseph Jones has been on Chicago’s West Side for many years, and under his leadership, the church arranged, through LifeSource, a blood donation drive.
Donors on this day helped to save over 60 lives, according to LifeSource personnel. They state that blood donors are the links to saving lives and one donation can save up to three lives. Situations such as chemotherapy, transplants, severe burns, or heart transplants are just some of the areas to think about. Supervisor Michelle Davis saw to it that each donor was promptly waited on and that all forms were filled out and explanations about donating were done professionally.
Emanuel Jones, proprietor of Emanuel Funeral Chapels (5040 S. Western) and the son of Pastor Jones, said while waiting to donate, “The reason I am a blood donor is, number one, it was offered to me by a member of Pleasant Ridge, and I find that it will be beneficial to help others. I’ve never done this before, so I wanted to do it this time.”
Although Pastor Jones was away on vacation, the Sunday service was officiated by assistant ministers Rev. Romandis Moore and Rev. Victor Polk. Rev. Moore’s mother, Louvenia, was one of main organizers of the blood drive. She organized members and made sure the LifeSource mobile van personnel were taken care of.
Louvenia said, “Not only is this a great community effort, I am extremely proud of my son’s sermon today. This is what our church strives to be about?”community involvement and helping to teach, inform as well as save lives. We have been blessed to have a pastor who is very involved in community activities, and he not only leads but leads by example.”
LifeSource can be contacted at: 1-888-5DONATE.
