Throughout my research for our Change The World features, I have come across many wonderful, delightful and inspirational people. Eileen Dalton is nothing short of all of those things. After our conversation, I was immediately compelled to head over to her website and find my local blood donation site. Within minutes, I had an appointment. (See proof below!)

Let’s get logical for a second. Everyone has blood, that is a given. Millions of people need a stranger’s blood to get better or even survive. Since we all have a little to spare, it would seem that there would be a surplus, right? Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth! The truth is that only 5% of eligible donors actually donate blood. Each whole blood donation can help as many as three people and it couldn’t be easier to donate. It costs absolutely no money and only takes less than an hour of your time. You can even do it  every 56 days! Statistics show that as many as 25% of us will need blood at some point in our lives. So, why not invest in your local blood bank? Are you scared of needles? Don’t think you have the time? Don’t know if you are eligible? What are you waiting for? Get the answers here.

Eileen Dalton is a cancer survivor. After radiation, chemo & surgery, she found herself in need of blood. Thankfully, there was a stranger out there who took time out of their schedule to donate.

When her sons were looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, all Eileen wanted was for them to do the same thing that random stranger did. Donate blood. In honor of that gift, Give Blood For Your Mother was started. In the past, Eileen had been a donor on many occasions, but once she was diagnosed with cancer, she was unable to do so. She misses being a part of the “healthy world” and wishes that she could still give blood, but since she can’t she hopes to spread the word about Blood Donations and the lack of suitable donors. The goal of GBFYM is to promote donations, raise awareness and help as many people as we possibly can. In the long term, Eileen hopes to pair with companies, agencies and groups to spread the word to an even larger audience. Word of Mouth is the key to GBFYM’s success and growth.

The Non-Profit that asks for your blood, not for your money.

“Doing good is an important part of life. It is all about the power of a simple idea.” As I spoke with Eileen, I was immediately  drawn to her personality and excitement. It is hard to meet someone like her and not be inspired. She motivated me to personally set an appointment to give blood and then send a few emails out to friends and family to inspire them to do the same. It is really easy to get people together when there is a free, easy, and helpful way to give back, especially when there are cookies and juice involved!

So, what do you have to lose? Besides a pint of blood, that is. :)

If you want to get involved, head on over to Give Blood For Your Mother‘s website, find a local donation center, set an appointment and don’t forget to head back to the website to let them know you donated. You can even send pictures of who you are donating for! It would be great to do this in honor of you mom, a lost family member, a friend’s mom, your dad… or even for yourself! It is EASY, FREE and super HELPFUL. There are no excuses! If you can’t donate, you can help by spreading the word. Send people to this post, to the GBFYM website, or even their Facebook page! Become a fan and announce it on you wall. You will feel much better when you do.

A huge *THANK YOU* goes out to Eileen for taking the time out of her busy schedule to speak with me. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to get the word out about such an important cause. :)

PS> Here is the proof that I didn’t chicken out! My mom can’t give blood right now, but she did tag along for moral support and to be my professional photographer. :) If I can do it, you can too! Please notice the  many inches that I got chopped off of my hair this morning, too! Which will be discussed next week’s Change The World feature!