Seventh-day Adventists in Bogotá, Colombia, donated blood to help victims of the earthquake that hit Türkiye last month. Dozens of church members lined up to take part in the blood drive, run by the Colombian Red Cross, during the church’s centennial celebration at Bolivar Plaza on February 11, 2023.

“On behalf of Colombia’s Red Cross National Blood Bank, we thank you for the commitment and solidarity of your Adventist community to share happiness, peace, and love through this blood donation,” said Félix Rocha, promotion coordinator for Colombia’s Red Cross National Blood Bank. Rocha reported that 250 units of blood were collected during the event. “Our group of collaborators and volunteers here are impressed with the beautiful purpose and warm reception shown in donating blood.”

Pastor Alvaro Niño, president of the South Colombian Union, said the partnership between the church and the Red Cross organization has been continuous on many occasions throughout the large urban city, as well as numerous initiatives promoting a healthy lifestyle through cycling clubs, health expos, publications, and other humanitarian and ecological activities, such as food distribution and the planting of trees.

“The Adventist Church carries out this blood donation event as an expression of compassionate love exemplified in the experience of our Lord Jesus Christ—as an act of kindness for those who need it to live and for their well-being,” said Niño.

“We are so grateful to church members for coming through in donating blood so that it could be quickly sent to help in Turkey,” said Henry Béltran, executive secretary of the South Colombian Union. “It was wonderful to see so many [members] willing to donate their blood.”

Allan López was eager to take part in the blood drive. “Donating blood for me means that I can help someone in a transcendental way because no one gets a blood transfusion just for kicks, but because something important is happening,” said López. “My grandmother depended on a lot from these types of donations, and at times, it was very critical to find someone with the same type of blood to assist her, so being an instrument in emergency situations is a privilege for me. It’s about providing relief and help during an emergency.”

It’s about being a channel of blessings for people, said Pastor Niño. “Just like when we share a book, or literature, when we send an encouraging message through our social media platforms, when we invite them to our churches, or take part in cleaning a park and other activities, it’s important to benefit others, so much so impacting someone’s life through donating blood.”

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Colombia is planning more blood drives through local and regional church activities, church leaders said.

The original version of this story was posted by the Inter-American Division website.