If you were given the opportunity to save someone’s life, would you take it? If you could change someone’s future for the better, would you do it?

I think most people in this community would answer yes to both questions.

That’s why I’m excited to extend an invitation to everyone to come take part in Baldwin EMC’s sixth annual Power of Giving blood drive and health fair on Nov. 3. On that day, we will be collecting blood donations for LifeSouth Community Blood Center, non-perishable food items for Catholic Social Services, and wet and dry pet food and cat litter for the Baldwin County Humane Society.

How can this event save lives or change anyone’s future? It’s simple. Right now, the need for blood donations in our community is critical. There is no substitute for the supply of blood at our local hospitals, which provides life-saving transfusions for accident victims, surgical patients and more. Each donation saves as many as three lives. Each donation makes an ordinary person a hero.

Food donations are also critically needed in our community. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of August 2011, almost 10 percent of Alabama’s labor force is unemployed. That’s left many individuals struggling to keep food on the table for their families. That’s what makes the non-perishable food donations collected during our Power of Giving drive so valuable. These donations will be given to Catholic Social Services and distributed to families in need right here in Baldwin County.

We can’t forget about our four-legged friends, either. The Baldwin County Humane Society has seen a sizeable increase in families having to surrender their cherished pets due to lack of finances.That’s why Baldwin EMC is glad to host a Pet Food Pantry and take contributions of wet and dry pet food and cat litter.

Coming to the Power of Giving drive and participating in any of the ways mentioned above can make a difference in someone’s life. It might feel like just a simple gesture, but sometimes a simple gesture is all it takes to change a person’s future. A simple gesture can make you someone’s hero. 

Karen Moore

Baldwin EMC