Author: the.lost.muse

Greetings!

There are some BIG needs in the world right now. Covid-19 has drastically impacted blood donations, while the need has not decreased. With the country-wide shortage of blood, there are a lot of folk who are having to wait days for life-saving transfusions. Additionally, we are all feeling the economic impacts of this disease and many, many people are having to depend on food donations to make it through. We might not be able to control many things right now, and that is incredibly frustrating, but we have the opportunity to provide gifts to our broader community that can quite literally save lives. 

Gifting: It’s part of who we are. 

It’s one of several beautiful ideals at the core of our collective identity as burners. This year, we won’t be able to share our gifts in person with one another at an event and that’s painful in a special sort of way. We all look forward to being together again, safely and soon. In the meantime, if you are able, please consider spreading the word and participating in these meaningful ways where we can provide gifts to our local community. 

Here are some ways we can help:

Blood Drive at Lloyd

BLOOD DRIVE

Sunday, May 24^th

12:00pm – 4:00pm

Lloyd The Warehouse is hosting a blood drive! Come lend a helping arm and save local lives. It’s easy, just click here to make an appointment on-line. We will be stationed in the Bloodmobile Bus in front of Lloyd The Warehouse. 

Walk-ins are not being accepted- please schedule an appointment if you would like to give blood. 

If you have eligibility questions, check out We Are Blood’s website. If you have more specific questions or would like assistance signing up, call We Are Blood at 512-206-1266.

For questions specific to our drive, contact stephy at stephy@outlook.com

*Remember! Bring a mask, eat a full meal before donating, and bring your photo ID. Follow the instructions on the website- you can complete the form on the  *day of* donation and bring the printout or a code to skip the onsite questionnaire. 

Please read the FAQ about being at Lloyd the Warehouse and giving blood at the end of this post.

Lloyd’s Virtual Food Drive

Please join Lloyd the Warehouse in helping to feed our Community. https://help-prepare-families.everydayhero.com/us/lloyd-s-virtual-food-drive 

The Central Texas Food Bank believes in providing comprehensive support to address urgent issues, and to ensure that our neighbors have the tools and information needed to access food and other programs through our network—now or whenever they find themselves in need.

A gift today helps ensure the Food Bank’s shelves are stocked so they can respond when needed most.

According to the Food Bank, right now the most helpful thing would be to provide financial contributions. They are able to provide 4 meals with just $1. 

If you would rather donate food items, please visit https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/ for more information. They are accepting donations at the back of the building by the loading docks. The entrance is off Burleson Rd. and open M-F 8AM to 5PM. 

The most needed items are: peanut butter canned chicken breast or tuna canned low sodium vegetables canned fruit in its own juice (no sugar added) dry pinto beans brown rice non-fat dry milk powder 100% whole grain cereal.

Don’t forget- participation doesn’t have to be that you, personally, make a donation. If you feel inspired to, please consider sharing this information and help spread the word. 

We are all in this together. 

Thank you, all. Until we meet again <3

FAQ

Q. Can you guarantee my safety if I choose to participate?

1. No. Not even a little. We are doing everything we can to minimize risk, but as you know, every interaction involves some risk at this time. We seek to not cause harm- you will have to do what’s right for you and we all fully support this. 

Q. This is being held at the warehouse? Can we hang out?

1. No. 

Q. No, seriously. We want to spend some time at the warehouse. If we donate blood, can we spend some time up there?

1. No, seriously. If you are donating blood, We Are Blood requests that donors show up no more than 5 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment and leave when they are done resting on the bus. Their team must stick to strict guidelines and having people milling around is not in anyone’s best interest.

Q. My friend/family member/partner/bestie wants to drive me to and from when I donate blood. Can they hang out while I’m donating?

1. Not in the lot. If you need someone to drive you to and from, please note that they will not be allowed to hang out while you are on the bus. They must stay in their vehicle while waiting for you. 

Q. If I come up to donate, do I have to sign a waiver (if I haven’t already for this year)?

1. Of course! We will have waivers on site, ready for your steady hand. If you’re at Lloyd, ya gotta sign the waiver. Please make sure you review the warehouse policies. 

Q. I was looking forward to donating blood but I woke up feeling sick May 24th. Should I come up anyway?

1. Please, no. Definitely not. Take good care of yourself and stay home. If you signed up to donate, follow the instructions on the website to let them know you will not make your appointment. 

Q. Is it a big deal if I miss my appointment with We Are Blood?

1. YES. Please do not sign up to donate blood unless you are 1000% committed to showing up, ON TIME (no burner time- they can’t operate like that). Unfortunately, if you miss your appointment, they cannot take walk-ins at this time- which means that that slot is “wasted” and that’s just another hit to the supply. If you find out days before that you will be unable to make it, please reach out to We Are Blood directly so that they may open up that time slot for someone else to fill (if they are able to). If you have to miss your appointment because you are feeling ill the day of, please see the previous FAQ entry- your gift may just be trying to keep yourself and everyone safe that day and that’s okay. 

Q. Do we need to wear masks if we donate blood?

1. Yes. We Are Blood requires all donors to come with their own masks. While on site, for everyone’s safety, masks will be required for the duration. 

Q. Can we use the bathroom at the warehouse?

1. Negative. In order for We Are Blood to safely perform their service they require exclusive use of the “facilities,” which means that no one else can use the bathroom while they are on site. Please plan accordingly. 

Q. What’s accessibility like on this bus?

1. Unfortunately, it is really just a converted bus (and all that that entails). They have much better accessibility at their brick and mortar locations. If you would like to, please visit https://weareblood.org/ and speak with those good folk directly. 

Q. Can I show up with a table of snacks and drinks and cheer and fluff people donating?

1. Please, don’t. It’s super sweet of you to want to find another way to help but no one gets to just “hang out,” even with the best of intentions. There will be a couple people on site to help things run smoothly as well as to ensure that social distancing practices are being respected. We must honor the health care workers from We Are Blood by being, and remaining, scarce. Get in, do yo thang, get out quickly and safely and know that you are loved and appreciated but we just can’t do “people” right now. 

Q. This event is being held at the end of May. Surely the State will continue to lift restrictions and we can totally throw caution to the wind and party? 

1. No. We Are Blood does not intend to change their current, strict system in order to protect their staff and their donors, and neither will we. It is unlikely that there will be enough data to “prove” we may safely congregate in May. Please understand that we will continue to enforce social distancing guidelines at Lloyd, even outside, to make sure that when this is all over and we can be together again, no one is missing.