NEW YORK, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Dozens of New York-based members of New Heaven New Earth, Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ), participated in a group blood donation expected to run May 6th through May 13th. Donations were made through the New York Blood Center (NYBC), one of the world’s largest independent blood centers.
The church members’ donations come amid a blood supply emergency announced by the NYBC. As of May 9th, the organization reported that inventory is low across all blood types. Ideally, the center would have a 5-7-day blood supply. Currently, however, blood types O and B have fallen to a 1-2-day level.
“This time of the year always tends to be difficult for the blood supply, with school spring breaks and increased travel making blood donations less of a priority,” said Andrea Cefarelli, senior executive director at NYBC. “These factors are now coinciding with increasing COVID cases and a potential fifth wave of the pandemic.”
The latest news comes during a national blood supply shortage that has made headlines since early 2022. Pix 11 reported that the NYBC previously collected 50 pints of blood on a typical day. By January 2022, it was only collecting seven or eight pints per day.
Inspired to save lives and raise awareness, members of SCJ in New York leaped at the chance to donate blood. The church hopes that others will be encouraged to do the same.
Donations made in New York follow the group blood donation of more than 18,478 members of SCJ in South Korea. All certificates and tickets collected within the two-week donation period will be given to the Korean Red Cross. So far, donation tickets worth nearly $100,000 have been gathered.
SCJ members have stepped up to donate blood since 2020. Following a request made by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, members donated plasma at a time when Covid-19 treatments were not yet available.
“I was deeply moved when 6,000 members of the church donated plasma for the development of a treatment for COVID-19 in 2020,” said an official from Green Cross Korea. “Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has stepped forward in times of national crisis.”
For more information: www.scjamericas.org
MEDIA CONTACT: Gina Del Gigante, 16466287365, info@scjamericas.com
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