Blood drives have a unique feature that most volunteer efforts do not: After donating, every donor must sit down for at least 15 minutes to recover. This pause is medically required, but at the blood drives I coordinate for American Friends of Magen David Adom in partnership with Blood Centers of America, we treat that time as an opportunity to connect.
The canteen table becomes what feels like the most eclectic Shabbat table you’ve ever experienced; it’s magical, and emotional. Teens and seniors, religious and secular — all nosh on snacks while chatting about why they came. I’ve heard people say they are terrified of needles, but showed up anyway because a sibling or friend had leukemia and needed transfusions. Others come because they survived an accident or illness and want to give back. The conversations are so intense because after donating, people sit down feeling proud, a little vulnerable and open. They have just done something lifesaving, and that changes the tone of everything that follows.
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