This year, Yeshivat Frisch held two in-school blood drives, collecting a total 172 units of blood from over 200 students and faculty members. Each person who donated blood will save three lives.

The student organizers—Rikki Ashman, Rebecca Kieffer, Ayelet Motechin, Daniel Sarasohn, Jeanie Moses and Yakira Weinberg—along with Frisch Nurse Leah Shteingart partnered with the New York Blood Center to collect the donations. Eighty one units were collected during the fall semester, 91 in the spring.

Students were driven to get involved in order to do chesed and help boost the region’s blood stores; after all, every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. “You can’t get blood when you need it without donors,” said Rebecca Kieffer, one of the student organizers. “It was really special to see our Frisch community come together and help those in need. I was really amazed by the whole planning process from start to finish and I am so proud that we were able to collect 91 units of blood this semester!”

The drive also offered a long-lasting lesson. “I found it amazing how as young students we were able to help people and make a difference,” said Frisch senior Ayelet Motechin. “The blood drive gives us an opportunity to help and have an impact—it doesn’t matter who you are, where you live or your age. It inspired me to do more in life.”