CULLMAN, Ala. – The Kiwanis Club held their regular meeting at Freddie Day catering Monday, Feb. 7 at noon to hear from a couple different speakers. One address came from Pilot Light Home Board Chairman Peggy Harris, who spoke about the Cullman Pilot Club’s contributions to the community and their ongoing need for funding at their Pilot Light Home, which is a 24/7 foster home and emergency care facility licensed by the Department of Human Resources. The home currently has room for six children and is managed by a salaried house parent. The home’s purpose is to offer abused and neglected children a secure living space.
The Pilot Light Home runs on funding from DHR, United Way of Cullman County and donations from churches and the community. The Pilot Club budgets $5000 a year to the Pilot Light Home. Harris said, “When we have been down to the point when we didn’t have the money to pay our bills the next month, we had some of the banks make donations. We’re doing pretty good, when we are able to cover our expenses.”
The Kiwanis Club presented Harris with a check for $250. The Club generally provides crates of food, but this year the number of members without Covid and able to gather the food had dwindled significantly. The Kiwanis Club provides funding for children in need by hosting community events, raising money for scholarships and supporting Key Clubs.
The group also heard a presentation from LifeSouth of Cullman. The blood donation centers are in need of new donors. They are looking for churches or establishments to allow the bloodmobile to set up and collect blood donations. “We need more than retail spots, we need organizations.”
Kami Mitchell of LifeSouth said, “There is a blood shortage that we are dealing with and it’s nationwide. In the U.S., every two seconds, someone is in need of a blood transfusion. Also in the U.S., 30% of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, but less than 5% actually do so annually.”
Cullman Regional Hospital receives 10 pints of blood every single day from LifeSouth. Decatur receives 15, and Huntsville receives 70 – 90 pints of blood every day according to Mitchell.
“Sometimes, Huntsville Hospital receives more blood in one day than some of our smaller hospitals do in an entire week.”
“What sets LifeSouth apart from a lot of other blood centers is we are your local blood center. We’re Cullman’s local blood center, so when you give blood, you can make sure that that blood stays right here in your community saving local lives.”
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