Helping hands
On November 9, the German Red Cross awarded its ‘Helping Hands’ medal of honor to Jacobs University in recognition of the university’s social commitment thereby making the institution the first to receive this accolade in the Bremen region.
November 10, 2011For the last five years members of the student initiative Jacobs Rotaract Club have organized blood drives on campus. A total of nine blood drives have since taken place at Jacobs attended by more than 1000 students and staff.
“We are rewarding social responsibility, a voluntary contribution by companies and institutions beyond what is legally called for. We appreciate the consistent involvement of Jacobs University’s students. Our initiative Helping Hands aims to encourage businesses and organizations to actively support blood donation,” said Andreas Mohrmann, area consultant German Red Cross Blood Donation Service NSTOB who handed over the medal together with Lübbo Roewer, spokesman for the German Red Cross district chapter Bremen.
Since 2006, the student-driven Jacobs Rotaract Club has set up their blood drives on campus with support and advice by Jacobs University’s Campus Activities and Intercultural Affairs Department. The club is a spin-off of Rotary International.
Jacobs Rotaract is very much involved in the local area, not only organizing blood drives, but also setting up social projects at local kindergarten groups teaching English to kids and parents.
Dr Thorsten Thiel, Jacobs Vice President Administration, and student Katharina Wortberg accepted the award on behalf of Jacobs University. “We are extremely proud of our students’ commitment,” said Dr. Thiel. “They are involved in a variety of clubs on a social, cultural or sports scale. Dates for the blood drives have become a firmly entrenched part of the campus calendar.”
Since 2009, students, faculty, staff as well as friends and neighbors of Jacobs University have two opportunities per year to donate blood on campus. Katharina Wortberg, treasurer and German Red Cross contact person at Rotaract said: “Our social projects are not just aimed at the Jacobs community, but also involve our neighbors in Bremen. We are very happy indeed about the growing number of blood donors.”
The next blood drive on the Jacobs campus will take place on March 7, 2012.
For more information on blood donation please visit www.blutspende-nstob.de
