Gwacheon Si, Gyeonggi-do May 6, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - According to the Korean Red Cross Blood Management Headquarters, the blood donation of more than 18,000 people is equivalent to 3.5 days of blood reserve (1 day of blood reserve, which is the average amount of blood used per day by medical institutions across the country, 5,029 per day). The voluntary donation of blood by the members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus has eliminated the national blood supply shortage that has persisted since the beginning of this year due to the spread of the COVID-19 omicron mutation.

In fact, before Shincheonji Church of Jesus started the group blood donation, domestic blood reserves were only a little over three days' supply, so the proper reserve for five days was greatly insufficient, and the blood supply was in a state of emergency. After the 1st day of Shincheonji Church of Jesus completing the group blood donation, the domestic blood reserve rose to 5.9 days.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus began with the goal of not merely participating in the group blood donation, but also solving the blood shortage in South Korea, which has become aggravated by the COVID-19 Omicron pandemic.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus encouraged the saints to donate blood in abundance, and in response, on the first day of group blood donation, at least 2,000 people donated their blood, and Shincheonji Church achieved its target of 6,000 people in just three days.

Despite this, the national blood shortage was not resolved, thus following this, more members of the church voluntarily rushed to the blood donation site. The result was an unprecedented miracle of blood donation by 18,478 people in 2 weeks.

This was reminiscent of Shincheonji's efforts in 2020. At the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the early days of COVID-19. When there were no vaccines and treatments, a total of 6,000 people participated in plasma donations to develop COVID-19 treatments on three occasions. Shincheonji Church of Jesus members took steps to overcome the national crisis and received attention not only within Korea but also from abroad while suffering the aftereffects of COVID-19 and mental difficulties.

The group blood donation attracted a wide range of saints, from the largest blood donor to the first-time blood donors. There are 16 donors from the group participants who donated blood more than 100 times, and the largest blood donor is Choi Byeong-hyuk from the Ulsan Church, who has participated 538 times to date and has been inducted into the Blood Management Headquarters Hall of Fame. In addition, many young people and women in their 20s who heard of the national crisis participated in blood donation for the first time in their lives.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus will donate both the blood donation certificates and the blood donation rights collected through group donation for 2 weeks to the Korean Red Cross on May 9th. The right to donate blood is promoted by the Korean Red Cross as a system in which people donate that amount instead of receiving souvenirs after donating blood. Shincheonji Church of Jesus allowed the members who participated in the blood donation to decide for themselves. Currently, the donation rights that have been collected are equivalent to 100 million won (about $78,950).

A blood source official said, "Many members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus are participating to fill the scarce blood supply. We are reaching our daily average target well enough, and no [other] organization is doing this. What was particularly impressive was that they were trying to gather 2 times the number of eligible people considering that there would be ineligible blood donors among the blood donor applicants. I felt like they were making an effort with us. I am so grateful."

Another official said, "I was also deeply moved when 6,000 saints came forward to donate plasma as a group in 2020 to develop a COVID-19 treatment. I would like to once again express my gratitude to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus for helping during every crisis in the country."

Chairman Lee Man Hee of Shincheonji Church of Jesus said "It was a very meaningful event because it was a blood donation in which all the saints participated in one accord. We would like to thank the saints for taking a step forward when they heard the country was experiencing a national blood supply crisis. We will diligently act as a light and salt and carry out a life of faith to glorify God."

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