Johns Hopkins Gazette: February 24, 1997

In Brief

Red Cross Blood Drive set for Feb. 28 at Homewood

Valentine's Day is not the only day during the month of February to give a gift from the heart. To help support the American Red Cross in their effort to ensure an adequate local blood supply, members of the Hopkins community can give blood in the Glass Pavilion at Levering Hall on the Homewood campus on Friday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Peggy Jones, benefits specialist at Homewood, who has managed the university's blood drive since 1979, said that the key to getting people in and out quickly will be their appointment system.

"This year we are encouraging everyone to make an appointment," Jones said. "This will streamline the process. We hope to have eight appointments every 15 minutes." Jones added that they hope to schedule morning appointments to help avoid a lunchtime or evening crunch of donors.

With this year's blood drive theme--"Wouldn't you rather give it voluntarily?"--organizers point out that losing blood is not voluntary, nor is it something for which we generally plan.

Theresa Balcer, an administrative secretary in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is grateful for the 65 units of whole blood, 95 units of platelets and 57 units of plasma she received following a 1995 automobile accident that severed an artery in her leg.

"The blood of this community runs through me," said Balcer, who almost lost her leg and spent three months in the hospital recovering from the accident. "If it were not for the Red Cross, my son would not have a mother today."

According to the American Red Cross, a pint of blood donated on Feb. 28 is a pint your body will quickly replace. And it could help to save three to four lives. Red Cross administrators point out that because a sterile needle is used only once and then discarded, donating blood poses no health risk to the donor.

To sign up for a donation appointment time, call Peggy Jones at (410)516-8039.


Self-nominations sought for diversity council

The university is seeking self-nominations from those at all functional levels of employment within the university to serve on the intradivisional JHU Diversity Leadership Council, recently established by President William R. Brody. The deadline is Feb. 28. To submit a nomination, write a very short biography of yourself and describe why you want to serve on a council dedicated to recognizing and encouraging the benefits of diversity in the workplace.

The diversity council will meet once a month and require a time commitment of four to six hours per month. Ideal nominees should have previous experience in community service, leadership capabilities, a commitment to inclusion and the ability to talk about--and across--differences.

Nominations should be sent either to the provost, in 265 Garland Hall on the Homewood campus, or to Cecy Kuruvilla in the Office of Human Services at the Wyman Park Building, Suite 600. Be sure to mark the envelope "Diversity Council Nominations."


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