Local Blood Drives in November Honor Late Jacksonville Graduate
ImpactLife will host two blood drives in Morgan County this month, including a memorial event honoring Jacksonville High School graduate Hannah Mansell who died of COVID 19 in 2021. The drives aim to bolster local blood supplies and engage the community through partnerships with Illinois College and First Presbyterian Church.
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ImpactLife will hold two community blood drives in Jacksonville in November, one timed as a tribute to a young local life lost to COVID 19. The first event, titled Be a Light and dedicated to Hannah Mansell, is scheduled for November 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. A second drive in partnership with Illinois College will run November 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from a mobile donor bus parked on West College Avenue near the college campus.
The back to back events bring together a nonprofit blood center, a faith congregation, and an educational institution to meet ongoing patient needs. Local blood collections support area hospitals and care for people who need surgery, trauma care, and treatments for chronic illnesses. For Morgan County residents, the drives provide a close to home opportunity to replenish supplies that are often strained by seasonal demand and routine medical needs.
ImpactLife is offering a small electronic gift card to donors, and the organization advises potential donors to make appointments when possible. The organization also notes age minimums and standard eligibility rules apply, and residents are encouraged to check ImpactLife resources for current requirements and to confirm appointment availability. The mobile donor bus on West College Avenue is intended to make donation convenient for students and community members near Illinois College, while the First Presbyterian Church site creates a visible community remembrance for Mansell and an accessible location for local volunteers.
Public health experts emphasize that community blood drives are a basic but essential part of health system resilience. For families here, the events are both practical and symbolic. They convert grief into action, and they make blood donation an act of solidarity for neighbors who may later rely on those donations. The collaboration between a college and a church also highlights how different community institutions can share responsibility for local health needs.
Barriers to donation such as scheduling conflicts, transportation, and eligibility rules can limit participation for some residents. Local organizers say that by holding multiple drives and offering a mobile bus, ImpactLife and its partners hope to widen access and ensure more equitable opportunity to give. With appointments recommended, residents who can donate are urged to plan ahead to help ensure a steady, local blood supply during November and beyond.
