Putting volunteer hours to work amid a national blood shortage

At Mythic, our community action team plays an integral role in building new and existing relationships between us and the greater Charlotte area. They connect our team members with opportunities where we can have an impact beyond simply donating. In addition to some of the group projects we’ve participated in, including working with horses and dogs, assembling kits for overdose reversal, or kits for STEM projects for kids, every team member has access to two days of Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to donate their time to something they are passionate about.?

Brittany Dunn, a line producer for video production at Mythic and Joyride, uses her VTO to organize blood drives with her mom, Krista — a passion project they started in October 2009. In partnership with the Red Cross and their church in Asheboro, they’ve organized 25 blood drives and collected more than 700 pints of blood. Ahead of her most recent blood drive on Sept. 29, Brittany shared how this became a passion project that she and her mom have continued to work on together.?

Was there anything that prompted your interest in organizing blood drives?

"My mom and I used to try and donate blood a lot, but occasionally it would be hard to find a blood drive in our location or one that worked with our schedules. Also, there are certain reasons people can’t donate, and they're small like you could have a fever one day, and that disqualifies you. I would encounter that sometimes, and so I just thought, I want to find a way to help. My mom was the one who pushed me to do it. 'You should donate blood when you can, and maybe we can't donate sometimes, but we could facilitate it.' So we just started hosting blood drives."

Can you describe what goes into organizing a blood drive?

“We use the fellowship hall of my mom’s church to host the blood drives — that's the hard part, just having a location for the Red Cross to come and work from. We do two each year and invite members of the community or church by having people send texts to spread the word. And unlike most blood drives where you only get a cookie, we do a little more to entice people. So donors get a full hot dog and dessert, and it's all made by ladies at the church.”

Why is donating blood so important??

“You never know when you or someone you love will need it. I've never needed blood, but if I ever did, I would hope that it would be available. If everybody did [donate], there would never be a shortage.”

How important is it to you that Mythic offers VTO hours so you can donate your time?

“The minute I found out about VTO, that was the first thing I thought about. I was like, ‘Okay, great, I can use those hours for blood drives.’ I love that and that Mythic also has a nonprofit match program. It's just another thing that separates it from a cold corporate job that doesn't care about what you do outside of work. It's nice that they care and make it accessible to still do things you are passionate about.”

In September, the Red Cross declared a national blood shortage, noting that supply levels have decreased 25% since August. The nonprofit notes that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets and a single donation can save more than one life. For more information about donating blood or hosting a drive, visit their website.?

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