Feeding Hope received a $2,350 check recently from Our Blood Institute after the successful All American Bryan County and City of Durant blood drive. From left, Durant Fire Department Deputy Chief Dustin Rudolf, OBI senior account manager Michelle McGuire, Bryan County Sheri Joey Tucker, OBI donable administration support specialist Hannah Rhoades, Donald W. Reynolds Library director Robbee Tonubbee, Feeding Hope director Keri Gowin-Juarez, Durant Fire Chief Je Langford and Deputy Durant Police Chief Joe Clark. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat
Feeding Hope, an organization that serves meals to the community, received a $2,350 check recently from Our Blood Institute after a successful blood drive.
Hannah Rhoades, donable administration support specialist at OBI, said the organization has a program called Donable Cares where non-profit organizations can sign up and partner with OBI to raise funds through blood donations.
“We had a big blood drive in June where our partner Feeding Hope, they sent their people out to the blood drive and everyone showed up and so Feeding Hope was able to raise over $2,000 through blood donations and with those donations, over 300 lives in the community have been positively impacted as well,” Rhoades said.
“They get a link and they can just continue to fundraise all through the year. It doesn’t have to be at a specific event. So, we are just blessed and thankful to partner with them and be able to support each other’s missions.”
Michelle McGuire, senior account manager for OBI, said the funds were from the All-American Bryan County and City of Durant blood drive.
“That’s where the city and the county come together to save local lives, and we ended up drawing well over 100 donors that day, and we have that event around the 4th of July to help with that 4th of July blood supply,” McGuire said. “It’s always the same week every year for that reason.”
Keri Gowin-Juarez, director of Feeding Hope, said the organization has a partnership with OBI.
“That’s a different way that people can come and donate towards a blood drive, plus the donations will go back to a non-profit of their choice and so this time, we did the blood drive and we were selected as the nonprofi t and we received the $2,350 check,” Juarez said. “So, that’s another way that you can give back to Feeding Hope is by doing a blood drive because everybody that donates successfully, we get a portion of those proceeds back through their marketing program.
“If you can’t financially donate, but you can give blood, all the blood drives, they always pick a non-profit to donate back to and so we’re thankful that Feeding Hope is supported here in Durant.”
