“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain
The Life on Life Initiative has proven to be a mission field for Life Members to get involved in their communities and serve in ways they may have never thought to do before. Because of the impressive number of stories that the company received, Life decided to create a Life on Life book that features all of the stories from this blog. We are very proud of this product and believe that it will not only be a great conversation starter, but will also allow us to expand our influence and messaging of setting people functionally free all around the world.
Not surprisingly, the Life corporate staff have also bought into the Life on Life movement by organizing events that will serve the local Cary, NC community. You may remember reading about the Life employees providing love for the elderly at Sunrise Senior Living back in February. Likewise, on Thursday, July 7th, 2016, the Life staff decided to turn the tables and organize a completely different project by hosting a life-saving blood drive for the American Red Cross at the World Headquarters.
Prior to the event, several Life employees donated their time by organizing the event, recruiting donors, and providing food and beverages. However, what was most impressive was the number of employees who signed up to donate blood on the day of the drive. The American Red Cross provided a goal to collect 30 pints of blood in four hours and with the help of Life staff, volunteers, local Life Members and local businesses, they met and exceeded their goal by collecting 31 pints of blood – with 16 people being first-time donors.
“It is a privilege to serve side by side with people who care about giving back to their communities. This is not only true for our awesome Life Members in the field, but also for our staff at World Headquarters. We were thrilled to be able to spearhead a blood drive and to do so at a time in the year when national blood donations usually slump. Attempting to fill that gap and potentially save lives is what it was all about. The turnout and participation was incredible, and we are thankful to the Red Cross for all they did to make the day a success!” – Chris Brady (CEO and Creative Director)
Check out what some of the Life Leadership staff had to say about the event:
“I’ve been in the corporate world for close to 10 years now, and at Life Leadership for nearly two of those years. Life is the FIRST company I’ve worked for that truly prioritizes serving the community. But Life didn’t just prioritize service—they took it a step further and created a movement with ‘Life on Life.’ I’m not always able to participate in events, but when the blood drive came up, I was determined to help in some way. I’m unable to give blood, but I signed up my husband instead (with his blessing, of course), and worked in the snack room. There was a constant flow of employees, members, and even neighboring businesses coming in to donate their blood. It was wonderful to see and experience. This company is absolutely having a huge impact on lives all over and I’m proud to be a small part of it.” – Jacqueline Tilma (Office Coordinator)
“It makes me feel great to work for a company that intentionally serves to make a difference in the community! With all of the negative things going on in the world, it’s good to know that Life Leadership and the Life on Life Initiative does things to bring positive to people’s lives and their community. They say that donating blood can save up to 3 lives (4 if you include your own, since the blood goes through a testing process before it can be used which can make a person aware of something they may not even know about). But even if blood donation only saved one life, it’s better than none!” – Curtis Williams (Compliance Advisor)
“I don’t know how much blood I’ve donated over the years, but I know it’s not enough.” – Ryan Renz (Media Manager)
“I love working for a company that continually strives to give back and make an impact on the community and its people. I hope our example of serving will influence other people and businesses to do the same. I feel proud knowing that the blood I was able to donate has the potential to save lives. It’s a good feeling knowing that you can make that kind of difference in another person’s life.” – Chris Janes (Media Specialist)
“It is such a small and easy task to give blood, but can make a huge impact. I’ve been giving blood for almost a decade now, and I‘m glad to be a part of a company that can see the benefits of saving lives. I love being a part of Life Leadership and take pride in the difference we can make in people’s lives. It’s a very rewarding job, and I wouldn’t trade it or the people I work with for anything.” – Jake Hayes (Retail Manager)
“I’ve been donating blood since I was first able to as a teenager and I feel it’s one of the best things we can do as human beings. When it was announced that we were going to be hosting a blood drive, my first thought was how right it was that we would be doing that. Life Leadership is about helping others to get the life they’ve always wanted. What better way to embody this than by giving and providing a way for others to give life-saving blood so that another person can live.” – Barbara Wolosonowich (Customer Support Manager)
“From the time that I first came to work for Life Leadership (almost 5 years ago!), I have felt that I had ‘come home’! I got it!! And I believe that connection came from our desire to pour into other people’s lives in a very tangible way! I am so very proud of this community that I am blessed to work within. With the Life on Life initiative, we are now able to tap into the words of the song … ‘reach out & touch, somebody’s hand, make this world a better place, if WE CAN’! My personal favorite part of the day was being able to greet everyone that came through our doors, willing to give of their very life, and make them feel our heart of gratitude for their personal sacrifice! With the blood drive, we were able to touch lives in more ways than with just a physical touch! Although I could not physically give blood or plasma myself, I was able to walk our local business park & let our neighbors know that walk-ins were welcome …and they actually came! This spoke volumes to me in that, if given the opportunity, there are a lot of folks out there that are looking for a way to help their fellow man in ways that go beyond finances. We are sending out the message through Life on Life that every sincere effort counts & that it doesn’t matter how much or how little each individual was able to give… together, as a team, we were able to impact 93 lives!!! We will never know how far that ripple will lead. There is a Higher Authority that is watching & He said “If you give a cup of water in My Name …”! Our donors & volunteers gave so much more than water!!!” – Renee Turner (Office Support)
Life on Life Blood Drive highlight video:
“Thank you for coordinating the July 7th blood drive! We were very pleased with the results and the willingness of the donors to share this life-saving gift. The efforts of Life leadership Cary have been greatly appreciated and your support of the community blood program will go a long way toward replenishing blood supplies and ultimately saving lives. In addition, we very much appreciate your efforts during this crucial time. With your help we collected 31 pints of blood. We opened the blood drive with 36 scheduled donors and had an impressive number of 16 first-time donors come out. Again, thank you for your contribution and ongoing support of this important community program. I look forward to working with you again on a future blood drive.” – Miranda Harrison (Account Manager for the American Red Cross)
The Life corporate team is proud to support the Life on Life Initiative and this is only one of many events that the company plans to partake in. We are also very thankful to the Life Members in North Carolina and those at a distance who heard about the event and donated blood as well. It is gratifying to know that there are so many selfless people who represent Life.
If you participated in this Life on Life event or were inspired by this story, please be sure to leave a comment below.
Life: Setting People Free
Chris Brady says
Thanks to everyone who participated and helped out in this event! You are truly making a difference that matters!
CB
JAMES (JAY) HOMEWOOD says
It is an honor to serve !
Linda Medrano says
I love Life on Life and Life Leadership for everything it stands for.
Suzanne Stoltzfus says
What an awesome privilege to be a part of a community that just keeps on serving & serving!!
Tracey Brill says
That is awesome! Fired up!
Elizabeth Sieracki says
I love what we do!!
Chad Aaron Palmer says
I remember being on bourbon st. with trash and debree piled up to the second story windows just days after Hurricane Katrina and how one of the bars stayed open and supplied us with water to drink and alcohol to clean the wounds of our patients who were receiving iv fluids and blood. Thanks Chris and crew for making the gift that saves countless lives everyday. cap