The top academic students of the National Honor Society at the Eldred Central School are continuing their public service events that greatly benefit our local community with an upcoming blood drive.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, the Society’s students are hosting the drive to help deal with the acute blood supply shortage that is happening in our country right now.

As a longtime blood donor, I have been receiving calls from American Red Cross asking me to donate blood as soon as possible to help ease the shortage so this blood drive is a great opportunity for me to help. In addition to making the all-important without a doubt lifesaving blood donation, there are several other benefits to the drive. Anyone who makes a blood donation will receive a free Halloween T-shirt.

Another benefit will be getting a link emailed to you for a free Zaxby’s Signature Sandwich or a $5.00 gift card to a business of your choice. Also, if the Honor Society collects enough blood donations to meet their goal, it would make possible for one of the graduating seniors eligible to receive a scholarship from the American Red Cross.

The members of the National Honor Society put in a lot of time volunteering in our community in a variety of ways, and they deserve the chance to get a scholarship to support their advanced education plans and the recognition for their work.

The blood drive is open to everyone in the community so we all can have the opportunity to donate and support the work of these hard-working students and alleviate the blood shortage. The blood drive will be held in the Eldred JSHS School’s cafeteria at 600 State Route 55 on Wednesday, October 27th from 2:15 - 6:15 p.m. To register for an appointment, go to www.redcross.org and walk-ins are welcome!

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for many years has had a very active international aid program working around the world. This year because of all the disastrous weather we have had here in our country the church has designed a new very portable cleaning kit that fits everything into a five-gallon plastic bucket with a resealable lid.

The bucket kit provides the basic supplies and enables disaster victims to begin the overwhelming job of cleaning up. For several years while I worked for the American Red Cross, I was a National Disaster Responder and went to these terrible disaster locations trying to assist the victims and one enormous problem is the total lack of resources anywhere near the site.

At one point after a 200 mile an hour hurricane followed by two tornadoes hit the Gulf coast of Mississippi and scraped the earth of everything, clean water was so scarce for the survivors that Budweiser Beer airlifted in a million of their six pack of beer cans filled with fresh water which was a marvelous help.

The UMCOR cleaning bucket supplies have dish and clothes soap, a clothesline and clothespins, air freshener, N-95 face masks, trash bags, insect repellent, scrub brush, scouring pads and wipes, work and kitchen gloves. The Church is asking that the public join their efforts by putting together a cleaning bucket for their disaster aid program.  

The United Methodist Men’s Group in Barryville are leading the local drive to make up the cleaning bucket kits and are accepting donations-either buying some of the supplies during your next shopping run or donating to the church. “It’s more than just hurricane cleaning buckets; it is about demonstrating hope and love towards those in need” Pastor Perez told me. He estimates that by buying the cleaning supplies at Dollar General a full cleaning bucket would cost about $50.00 to fill.

To donate or get more information contact Pastor Charles Perez at the United Methodist Church in Barryville at (973) 901-2903.