On December 9th, Help One Blood and the Volunteer Ministers Give the Gift of Life This Holiday Season

CLEARWATER: On Monday, December 9th, One Blood and the Church of Scientology of Tampa’s Volunteer Ministers will be collecting donations at the Church’s third and final blood drive of 2013. The bloodmobile will be parked on the corner of Pierce Street and Garden Ave from 10:00am to 5:00pm on the 9th.

“This time of year, people are looking for the ‘perfect’ gift,” said Church of Scientology spokeswoman Pat Harney, “Donating blood is the gift of life to up to three people. But think about what that gift means to the friends and families of those who receive that donation – it’s another birthday, another Christmas and that makes a huge difference.”

Per One Blood’s website, people wishing to donate need to be at least 16 years old, in good health and weigh over 110 pounds. Those wishing to donate will receive a free wellness check, including blood pressure and cholesterol count.

The website also states that blood donations help trauma victims, newborns, premature babies, people recovering from chemotherapy and burn victims. It is estimated that someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion every two seconds.

One Blood has been working with the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Tampa on these blood drives for the last few years. The Volunteer Ministers were started by Scientology’s Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who noticed that the traditional role of the lay minister in society was dwindling.

“A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence,” Hubbard wrote. “Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”

In addition to training local residents on their techniques, the Volunteer Ministers of Tampa have assisted relief efforts in disasters a far afield as 9/11, the Tsunamis in India and Indonesia, hurricanes in Florida and the 2011 earthquake in Haiti.