Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jimmy Ivy | 210318-N-EJ843-0036 GROTON, Conn. (Mar. 18, 2021) Sailors who volunteered for a blood...... read more read more
GROTON, Conn. – Sailors from Naval Submarine Base (SUBASE) New London Women’s Leadership and Mentorship (WLM) program teamed up with the American Red Cross to conduct a blood drive onboard the base Mar. 18, during National Women’s History Month.
“We wanted to do something that helps people as well as get our organization’s name out to the SUBASE community,” said Retail Services Specialist 2nd Class Ashley Doss, command career counselor for SUBASE New London and WLM program coordinator. “We don’t have many females here at SUBASE, but for the ones that are here, we would like to get them involved with our group.”
Doss highlighted that the WLM program provides opportunities for junior personnel to interact with each other and receive mentors and guidance from senior leaders. The program also gives Sailors a chance to conduct community service events such as the blood drive. Its focus is on uniform and civilian Navy women, but it is open to anyone who is interested.
Of course, the primary purpose of the blood drive was to collect life-saving blood. An enthusiastic donor who supported the event was SUBASE New London’s Commanding Officer Capt. Todd Moore.
“Service to our nation begins with service to our community,” said Moore. “I love that we do these blood drives on SUBASE because I think this is a concrete way to show that.”
SUBASE New London has exemplified that service, instituting numerous COVID-19 mitigations to safely host four blood drives during the span of the pandemic. This time around donors came out and contributed 39 units of blood, which will help save up to 117 lives according to American Red Cross officials.
“As soon as SUBASE was able to open up for blood drives they did everything to accommodate us,” said Jennifer Gartsu, account manager for Red Cross Blood Services in Connecticut. “The need for blood is constant. We need to be able to be there when our patients need us. So regardless of whether there’s a pandemic or not we still need to collect blood.”
Gartsu also noted that blood from all donors will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies through Mar. 30. If the blood tests positive, it may be used for convalescent plasma for patients who are fighting and recovering from COVID-19.
For Doss and the WLM program the opportunity to assist with this American Red Cross blood drive also had special meaning during National Women’s History Month.
The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton who dedicated her life and energies to help others in times of need - both home and abroad, in peacetime as well as during military emergencies.
To learn more about becoming a blood donor visit the American Red Cross website at www.redcrossblood.org.
To learn more about the SUBASE New London Women’s Leadership and Mentorship program, contact Doss at 860-694-4854 or Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Aviana Nash at 860-694-3318.
“Some SUBASE Good News” (SSGN) is an effort to provide uplifting stories about the personnel, programs, and initiatives that help make Naval Submarine Base New London, “The First and Finest.”
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.24.2021 13:48 |
| Story ID: | 392191 |
| Location: | GROTON, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Some SUBASE Good News: Women’s Leadership and Mentorship Program Hosts Blood Drive, by PO2 Jimmy Ivy, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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