East Carolina University Student Teams Up with Armed Services Blood Program

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Molina | East Carolina University student and military spouse, Kirsten Bosell, pictured here, partnered with Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune’s Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP), to coordinate a blood drive at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Main Exchange Oct. 23, 2019. The blood drive was a project for Bosell's Organizational Leadership Class.  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

10.23.2019

Story by Sarah Hauck 

Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune

When East Carolina University student and military spouse, Kirsten Bosell was tasked with coordinating a community event, she knew she wanted to give back to the community that had shaped her academic journey and life.
Partnering with Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune’s Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP), Bosell, a business management major who will graduate in December, coordinated a blood drive at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Main Exchange.
“I wanted to do something for the military that is part of my life and will continue to be a part of my life,” said Bosell. “I wanted to do something to give back to them. They do a lot for us so it feels good to give back.”
The project required her to put together an event that benefitted the community in some way.
As a regular donor, a blood drive was an easy choice for Bosell. Being able to partner with a military blood program added to her excitement to host a successful drive.
According to Wendy Binder, NMCCL ASBP’s Public Affairs Officer, military spouses are a group of donors that is important to ASBP so partnering with Bosell was an easy choice.
“As our active duty population is a major contributor to the ASBP there are a lot of times that regiments/battalions and schools might not be able or eligible to support. That is where spouses and civilian populations that have base access come in. Without the help of them there would be times that we wouldn't be able to meet our mission.”
Bosell spent several weeks preparing for the blood drive, encouraging everyone, civilian and military friends alike, to donate through social media posts and recruiting her youngest child to help hand out fliers.
“At first I was nervous because there are a lot of Marines here so there is a good pool of people but we can’t just let civilians on, who are my classmates who I have connections with and could ask to come donate,” she said.
The more than 200 fliers and numerous posts paid off; in total, 35 units of blood were collected at Bosell’s blood drive.
“We always look for opportunities to educate as many people as we can on who the ASBP is and what our mission is,” said Binder. “This was a great opportunity for us to hit a population that may not know there is a military blood program.”
For more information about ASBP, visit www. https://www.militaryblood.dod.mil/About/default.aspx.

• Date Taken: 10.23.2019
• Date Posted: 10.31.2019 08:53
• Story ID: 350014
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US