BRANDYWINE HUNDRED, Del. – The Blood for a Brew fall campaign continued with a stop at Brew HaHa! coffeehouse in North Wilmington on Sunday, October 6.
This time, Blood Bank of Delmarva Account Manager Gia Rivera booked more than 20 people to donate blood and sip on hot coffee afterward at Brew HaHa!, and that translated into 24 units collected. One of those units came from her boss, Director, Donor Recruitment Joanna Arat, who rolled up her sleeve to donate her O positive blood.
Afterward, she had a coffee with fellow whole blood donor Ann Phillips, who once worked with Arat at Ursuline Academy.
“I always help how I can; I know blood donations are always needed,” Phillips said. “I’m A negative, so I feel like I’m always getting emails that they need my blood type. I always try to donate a few times a year, and it’s been a while. I saw Joanna post this, and here I am.”
Jennifer Adam and her daughter, Ava Harsh, came in together to donate, both for the first time. Adam follows Brew HaHa! on social media, and she saw that they were hosting a blood drive, which had been on her daughter’s bucket list.
“I thought, hey we could do it; we could go right at 9 a.m., help save lives, and I’m O positive. I know that,” Adam said. “Thirty-eight percent of us have O positive [blood].”
This blood drive also attracted a few local teachers who usually donate at school, including Beth Davis, of Salesianum School and Laura Foltz, of Wilmington Friends School.
“This works today as well,” Davis said. “It’s convenient.”
“I give pretty regularly,” Foltz said. “And, I usually figure out when to go; weekends are better, and it’s free coffee. It’s an easy thing to do that doesn’t take a lot from me.”
