A local organisation is seeking to put a dent in the drought at blood banks throughout the country by visiting a new church each month and getting the congregations to give blood.

The non-profit organisation’s first stop on Sunday was at Bahamas Harvest Church on Prince Charles Drive where Vice President of the One Blood group Hervis Bain III said most of the group’s members are members.

“We are a non-profit organisation who came together as a group of friends who said we wanted to make a difference in changing the whole idea or ideology towards giving blood,” he said.

“We came together to promote blood donations at the churches, so we plan to have at least one church once a month to get a least 50 people at the church to give blood. This is to create a constant filling of the blood banks and end the blood drought.”

Mr. Bain, who said the group has been up and running since 2011, added that the blood received would go to both blood banks at the Princess Margaret Hospital and Doctor’s Hospital.

He added that the blood drive has a two-pronged effect: not only to raise much needed blood levels but also to raise red flags on any health issues donors might have.

“So far (on Sunday) we screened up to 50 people but we had at least 15 people who actually were able to give blood,” he said. “The importance of it is that the blood screening creates an awareness and if you’re anemic, we can pick that up, if you have hypertension you can look into that, so it brings about an awareness.

“We not only take blood but it gives the awareness and allows them to go to their doctors, get checked out and then try to give blood at another time.”

The One Blood vice president added that the organisation is looking to intensify its blood drive campaign during the fourth quarter of the year.