Jewish Community Center hosts blood drives, provides take-home meals in Pittsburgh
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The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh is working to find ways to help the community during its closure.
The JCC has been closed to normal operations since March 14, the center’s Squirrel Hill buildings on Darlington Road were bustling Wednesday as it hosted a blood drive and worked to distribute about 160 take-home meals to senior citizens.
“It’s just in our DNA. This is what we do: help people and rise to the challenge of meeting community needs,” said Jason Kunzman, the JCC’s chief program officer. “For 125 years the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh has been in the business of responding to need. In this day of social distancing, the traditional methodologies of meeting needs have been flipped on its side.”
Kunzman heard about a need for blood and reached out to officials at Vitalant, offering up the JCC’s Squirrel Hill and South Hills locations. Formerly Central Blood Bank, Vitalant is a national blood service organization that serves the region.
Nine appointment-only blood drives were set up at the JCC facilities, abiding by local and national health guidelines while also allowing Vitalant to shore up its blood supply.
“I’m happy to say we’re up and running in a meaningful way,” Kunzman said.
Vitalant workers used the gym and 38 people registered to donate Wednesday in Squirrel Hill, he said. Another drive set for Friday has 30 more people registered.
Donors must register online here, click on the “make an appointment” button and search using the group code C189.
The Squirrel Hill location at 5738 Darlington Road will host drives from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays through April 10. The South Hills location at 345 Kane Blvd. in Scott will host drives from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through April 10.
The center is also continuing its senior food program, providing take-home meals on Mondays and Wednesdays instead of daily meals in Squirrel Hill, Kunzman said.
“These are the most vulnerable members of our local community,” Kunzman said. “Shutting that down was not an option.”
Instead, the JCC is working with its food service provider, Aladdin, to prepare and package take-home meals for the seniors who are part of the program.
On Monday, 123 meals were prepared and on Wednesday 160 meals were distributed, according to JCC assistant executive director Alexis Mancuso.