CSC Blood Donors Give of Themselves

The old adage says you can’t get blood from a stone. But if you hold a series of blood drives, you can get a lot from CSC employees—more than 180 units’ worth.

Blood drives have been held across several offices in the last few months, including Wilmington, Dublin, Bangalore and Mumbai in India, and the Cayman Islands. The effort is part of the CSC Gives Back Blood Sweat and Tears initiative, which brings together colleagues to support blood-related nonprofits (such as the Red Cross or Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), sweat-equity efforts (e.g., running a 5K or cleaning up a playground), and “tears”—any cause that pulls at the heartstrings. The initiative encompasses all guiding principles of our CSC Gives Back philanthropic program—ensuring our local communities thrive, developing the workforce of tomorrow, and supporting the causes that matter most to our people.

More than 120 colleagues from two offices in India gave blood, says Charulatha B., an HR business partner. “The Red Cross blood drive was more than just an event for our offices—it was a demonstration of our commitment to serving our community and making a meaningful impact on the lives of others.” The Bengaluru office had 81 donors, while the Mumbai office had 43 at events on March 6.

Meanwhile in Wilmington, 23 colleagues donated 26 units of blood on March 6. How were 23 people able to donate 26 units? Three of them were Power Red donors. According to the American Red Cross, the Power Red process is similar to a whole blood donation, except a special machine lets donors give two units of red blood cells—the blood component needed by almost every type of patient requiring transfusion. The machine separates the red blood cells from the plasma and platelets, which it returns to the donor. A single blood donation can save three lives, so the three Power Red donors were able to double that.

Katie Patterson, a billing specialist with the company’s Global Subsidiary Management business, is a volunteer blood donor ambassador for CSC and the American Red Cross. “The March drive was my third and it won’t be my last!” she says. “I enjoy partnering with [CSC Gives Back program manager] Colleen Mulligan and the Facilities Team, and I look forward to interacting with the American Red Cross staff.” Katie is also a board member for the Red Cross of Delmarva, which provides lifesaving services to more than 1.4 million people in three states.

Colleagues in the Cayman Islands worked with the local Health Services Authority (HSA), using a corner of the CSC office to give donors some privacy, explains Rashana Hydes, a senior compliance monitoring analyst. She says the HSA nurses also offered blood type testing, iron level checks, and other wellness checks to the 20 donors.

“The scheduling process was done incredibly smoothly, and the HSA staff were amazing,” Rashana says. “The Health and Wellness Committee is also grateful to Deirdre Hochman, our regional managing director, for sponsoring post-donation snacks.”

A handful of first-time donors were among the 17 colleagues from both Dublin offices who visited the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) in February. “The newcomers were nervous, as it was their first time, and a few were experienced donors and were delighted to get involved again,” says Fiona Awerbuck, business support manager.

Fiona says clinic staff reminded the Dubliners of the importance of having a plentiful blood supply available for emergencies. “They regularly run perilously low on supplies, so donations such as ours are vital to keep the service running,” she says.

An added bonus for the donors was learning exactly how they helped. “The people who donated get texts telling them when and where in the country their blood has been used, which is a really satisfying thing to know,” Fiona says, adding that everyone who donated had a very positive experience and she hopes to have more people in the future.

It also helps to have an incentive to lure donors. Fiona says until 2010, Guinness provided a free drink to all donors—a welcome post-donation treat thanks to its high iron content. “I’m fairly certain many a student donated blood just to get the free Guinness!” But this time around, the Dublin colleagues were satisfied to help those in need of transfusions.