Westfield Vocational Students Organize Blood Drive on April 26

WESTFIELD — Westfield Technical Academy students, along with United Way of Pioneer Valley’s (UWPV) Youth Generate program, have organized a blood drive with the Red Cross on Thursday, April 26, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Westfield Technical Academy.

Youth Generate challenges young people across the region to imagine what they can do as volunteers to help their neighbors and improve their communities. The Westfield vocational students’ solution was to host this blood drive, at a time when blood supplies are critically low. For other groups of young people, projects have included park cleanups, senior-citizen services, and donation drives for underprivileged youths.

Youth Generate student volunteers are managing the event and registering donors. The general public is invited to donate in order to increase the preparedness of local hospitals.

UWPV has sponsored the spring blood drive (one of two biannual blood drives) for the past five years, as part of its general mission to secure the basic needs of the community and promote youth volunteerism.

“This event is always a great success in the community,” said volunteer coordinator Chris Woods. “In the past, blood that’s been donated from this event has been used to save approximately 130 lives.”

To learn more about Youth Generate or other UWPV volunteer opportunities, visit uwpv.org/volunteer.