Here’s how many local lives one blood donation here can save!
Shepheard Community Blood Center is a non-profit blood center located in Augusta, Georgia with two other locations in Evans, GA and Aiken, SC. Their mission
is to collect, process and distribute blood and blood products to the local community. In 2018, Shepheard Community Blood Center,
or SCBC, celebrated its 40th anniversary of serving others.
In addition to whole blood, they also collect plasma and platelets which can be used to treat people with cancer and other diseases. One blood donation can save up to 3 lives and since SCBC only distributes to local hospitals, each donor can know that their donation will help someone local. “Our donors are truly giving back
and helping their communities,” shared Ashley Whitaker, director of community resources with SCBC.
In 2019, Shepheard Community Blood Center would like to expand their territory to recruit more volunteer donors to ensure that they can meet the demands
from local hospitals. They plan to come into Lexington and Columbia in 2019 in order to expand their market, recruit new blood drive sponsors and increase
collections.
Shepheard Community Blood Center has around 100 employees, but Whitaker adds that none of this would be possible without the generosity of their donors
and volunteers. “We are the contracted provider for 23 hospitals in 30 counties across Georgia and South Carolina. We partner with you, the local volunteer
blood donor to fulfill our mission. All of our blood products come from volunteer donors and stay in the local community.”
Helping and serving others is the primary mission. Whitaker believes that “Anyone can make a difference in someone’s life. Most people want to help, but
don’t always know how. A blood donation is a way for many people, no matter how busy they are or how much money they have to give back to their community.”
Shepheard Community Blood Center celebrated their chamber membership with a ribbon cutting ceremony and blood drive on January 9th at the chamber
office. To find out more about SCBC and to learn how you can volunteer visit www.shepeardblood.org.