Bellefontaine resident Andrea Shumaker stopped at the Quest Community Church blood drive to make her donation Nov. 22. (SOLVITA PHOTO)
Mary Rutan Hospital in Bellefontaine and nearby Quest Community Church in West Liberty are dedicated to hosting blood drives for the health and wellness of the community, even when they fall inconveniently on the eve of Thanksgiving.
Mary Rutan and Quest host Solvita blood drives six times a year, every other month. This year both blood drives fell on the same Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Despite the holiday, both hospital and church stayed on schedule with the same vigilance they keep for aiding patients or congregants, in body or spirit, Solvita representatives noted.
Mary Rutan has hosted blood drives since 2007, including all through the pandemic. Quest opened the doors of its log cabin chapel for blood drives in 2020, when COVID-19 made it impossible to continue blood drives at the nearby Green Hills Community senior care facility.
“We appreciate the long history and support for our community,” said Laura Miller, Mary Rutan Hospital vice president of marketing.
“We’ve always had a good turnout for our blood drives, and not just the community. A big portion of the folks who donate are staff. We thank our team members for supporting the blood drives.”
“I try every time it’s here,” said food and nutrition worker Angel Shaffner. “I have a granddaughter who had osteosarcoma. She passed on Oct. 29. She was 17 years old. She had to have a lot of transfusions. I always tried because of the need, but I tried a lot harder because of her.”
Quest Community Church welcomed its new pastor Clark Howe on Nov. 1.
“I’m very excited to be here,” Pastor Howe said. “Quest is a great church and a wonderful community to be part of, to raise a family, and care for one another. This is one way to help the community in a positive way and care for neighbors in dire need.”
Quest has room for Solvita to set up machines for platelet and plasma donations.
“When we built the building and expanded, we wanted to help the community by using the building,” said Associate Pastor Jessica Dolan. “We did that with the blood drives here because we knew we have the space to do that.”
“I feel like I’m healthy and can always give back,” said West Liberty platelet donor Jen Wilcoxson. “I don’t need all my platelets so I’m glad to do it.”
“I’m a schoolteacher so we’re off school today,” said Bellefontaine donor Andrea Shumaker. “This is my home church and I always like to come here. I also brought my two daughters. My youngest is in high school and my oldest is home from college.”
DeGraff donor Mark Baughman made his 87th lifetime donation Wednesday at Mary Rutan. His wife Marie, a retired special education teacher at Riverside Local Schools, is a new donor.
“I just started this year because my mom had to have a blood transfusion after surgery,” Marie said. “She needed that, and I thought if I was eligible, it was a good thing to do.”
“I try to come every time,” said Rushsylvania donor Mel Roberts. “Everybody is coming to our home for Thanksgiving. I was going to come this morning, but I had to get the cider today, but I made it.”
Make an appointment to donate at an upcoming blood drive with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.
Mary Rutan Hospital food and nutrition worker Angel Shaffner is pictured on the Solvita bloodmobile Nov. 22 at the hospital. (SOLVITA PHOTO)