NASSAU, The Bahamas -- A ‘pop-up’ Blood Drive with Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) was held on National Volunteer Day at the Mall at Marathon, Monday, November 22, 2022 by the Governor General’s Volunteer Bahamas, led by His Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Cornelius A. Smith.

Chartered Accountant, Lindsey Cancino, the Volunteer Bahamas chairman said that the need for blood donations is constant and as such, there are never enough ways to encourage people to give blood and save lives.
“There are always many community needs but on November 19th, National Volunteer Day we opted to partner with PMH to help boost the Blood Bank reserve,” said Mr. Cancino. “And I was gratified that we managed to engage several first time donors and we hope they will become regulars.”

The Governor General attended and spoke to those donating blood and many of the volunteers. A group of youngsters from St. Barnabas Anglican Church aided in promoting the Blood Drive throughout the Mall.

The Governor General’s personal life-long belief and promotion of volunteerism in all its many guises, steered the formation in 2019 of an NGO called The Governor General’s Volunteer Bahamas. An online site is under development that will allow new volunteers to select a cause or event where they would like to be involved. Volunteer Bahamas will help match volunteers with their chosen area of concern. Its mission is to encourage persons to volunteer; it is a call to action for persons to seek out volunteer opportunities, to instill and inspire a culture of volunteerism throughout The Bahamas.

An online platform where NGOs and other volunteer groups and opportunities will be listed is under development. Volunteer Bahamas will post information on NGO’s and volunteer needs so they can appropriately be matched with enquiring would-be volunteers.

Television and radio interviews will continue through the end of November, Volunteer Month, promoting the ways persons interested in volunteering can be matched with appropriate volunteer opportunities through The Governor General’s Volunteer Bahamas database. Information at GGvolunteers@bahamas.gov.bs &
https://m.facebook.com/Volunteer-Bahamas-A-Call-to-Action-105240464511703/

His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Cornelius A. Smith, Governor General, attended the Governor General's Volunteer Bahamas 'Blood Drive' in association with Princess Margaret Hospital in the Mall at Marathon on Saturday, November 19, 2022.   In the group photo, from left: District Governor for Rotary District 7020 - Deborah Howell, H.E.  Sir Cornelius A. Smith, Blood Donor - Dwayne Wallace, PS Roselyn Horton, and Volunteer Chairperson - Lindsey Cancino. 

  (BIS Photos/Letisha Henderson)