COLUMBIA, S.C. — Charitable organizations in South Carolina, like everyone else, are dealing with the effects of the coronavirus. The need to aid the most vulnerable residents in the area is still a great one.
Cleaning products needed
Households that use SNAP benefits are not allowed to use EBT to purchase nonfood items such as cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies, according to the USDA.
The Salvation Army in Columbia is asking for donations of cleaning products to stock the local food pantry. Lisa Huffman, Salvation Army Volunteer Services and Emergency Response Services Representative, said The Salvation Army of Midlands Food Pantry will take "actual items or financial donations indicating on the check support for the Food Pantry hygiene/cleaning supplies. The Food Pantry is open 10am to 12pm Monday through Friday at our office, 3024 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203."
Harvest Hope would also accept donations of cleaning products to distribute with food supplies.
Give blood
The American Red Cross is has put out an emergency call for blood donors. The organization says it now faces a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed now to donate to help patients counting on lifesaving blood.
In a press release, the American Red Cross states:
To date, nearly 2,700 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country due to concerns about congregating at workplaces, college campuses and schools amidst the coronavirus outbreak. These cancellations have resulted in some 86,000 fewer blood donations. More than 80% of the blood the Red Cross collects comes from drives held at locations of this type.
Here in the South Carolina Region, 49 blood drives have been canceled, resulting in nearly 1,337 fewer blood donations.
We know that people want to help, but they may be hesitant to visit a blood drive during this time. We want to assure the public that blood donation is a safe process, and we have put additional precautions in place at our blood drives and donation centers to protect all who come out,” said Chris Hrouda, president, Red Cross Biomedical Services.
The Red Cross has implemented new measures to ensure blood drives and donation centers are even safer for our donors and staff, including:
- Checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy.
- Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.
- Spacing beds, where possible, to follow social distancing practices between blood donors.
- Increasing enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
At each blood drive and donation center, Red Cross employees already follow thorough safety protocols to help prevent the spread of any type of infection, including:
- Wearing gloves and changing gloves with each donor.
- Routinely wiping down donor-touched areas.
- Using sterile collection sets for every donation.
- Preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub.
There is no data or evidence that this coronavirus can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion transmission for any respiratory virus including this coronavirus worldwide.
