Springfield Family Support When the Springfield team comes together, good things happen for the community. The Springfield team supported a local family served by Sojourn Shelter and Services in Springfield, Illinois. Sojourn provides safe shelter and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence, helping individuals and families grow and build lives free of violence. Through snack table purchases, raffle tickets, and generous teamwork, the group was able to provide everything on the family's wish list. From toys and games to books and meaningful gifts, each item was thoughtfully chosen to help make the holidays brighter for a mom and her three kids. Seeing all of the gifts come together was a powerful reminder of what can happen when people rally around a shared purpose!
January 9 is National Law Enforcement Day but we partner with first responders all year long, which is why we created Heroes for Life. The partnership began years ago as Blue Blood, a collaboration with COPS, but has evolved into Heroes for Life to include all emergency response partners, who understand how important it is to have a strong blood supply. Heroes for Life blood drives are happening all across our service region with our first responder partners, who invite the community to save lives alongside them. There's even a limited-edition Heroes for Life T-shirt available in our Rewards Store.
Giving Back Is In Our Blood Our teams know how to get in the holiday spirit! Last week, our Human Resources and Volunteer Resources teams came together to spread some cheer. They chose to support troops stationed overseas, assembling care packages filled with items meant to brighten time away from home. Together, the team purchased supplies, packed boxes, and made sure each shipment was ready to travel thousands of miles.
ImpactLife launched a fifth Associate Board. This one serves the Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Iowa City, Iowa region. Our Associate Boards are made up of passionate volunteers who care about their community and want to spread the word about the importance of blood donation. From educators to marketing professionals and student, these community leaders are ready to make an impact. Welcome to the team, Corridor Crew!
Our Associate Boards are a chance to be part of something bigger. We recently launched our fourth Associate Board, this one in Springfield, Illinois with a great group of young movers and shakers excited to advocate for our mission. Saving lives is really a community effort , and we can't wait to see the impact this new board is going to make.
As part of our 2024 Good Giving initiative, donors had the option to donate their reward to Make-A-Wish. Thanks to their generosity, ImpactLife presented a $15,000 check to Make-A-Wish Illinois last week so they can make more dreams come true.
Leaders from Velico Medical, Inc. and ImpactLife held a news conference on Oct. 1, 2024 to announce plans to work together on development of a spray dried plasma product that can be carried by emergency medical services teams. FrontlineODP can be stored and transported without refrigeration and is ready for rehydration at the scene of injury or trauma. The intended use is for the management of traumatic hemorrhage where conventional plasma is unavailable or impractical for use such as pre-hospital transfusions, rural/austere hospitals or military applications. Thank you to Bill Skillman, Senior Vice President from Velico joined ImpactLife CEO Mike Parejko in making the announcement and describing FrontlineODP for staff members and media. View highlights from our news conference, below.
Katie Marchik joins ImpactLife as Chief Operating Officer. Katie began her career after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. She started as an Audit Associate with RSM (formerly McGladrey & Pullen, LLP). In 2004, she transitioned to UnityPoint Health - Quad Cities Market as Director of Finance. Over the years, she has held various roles in Finance, Treasury, and Supply Management at UnityPoint Health Corporate Services. In 2016, she was named Chief Financial Officer for the Quad Cities Market. Marchik is actively involved in her community, serving on the boards of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, and Iowans for International Adoption. A resident of Bettendorf, she has received numerous accolades, including the WLC Women of Influence Award (2021) and the Quad Cities Leaders Under 40 Award (2006).
Blood donors provided $18,290 in support through our Good Giving promotion for food banks across our service region. Good Giving donations come from donors who direct their post-donation e-gift card value to a non-profit. We have been presenting checks to all of the food banks serving communities of the ImpactLife service region.
Medical Laboratory Professionals week is a time when we celebrate the important work our lab team members do every day. While they work behind the scenes, they are a critical part of the ImpactLife team. This year's theme is Barbie and our team is killing it!
