Your Digest
Travelling donor makes time to save lives on vacation
Nick Evans has been donating blood for more than 30 years. A few years ago, he decided to blend that passion for giving back with his love of travelling. A resident of Victoria, B.C., Nick set a goal of donating blood across Canada, and he has already donated in four provinces. He recently made his 140th donation in Halifax, N.S., while on vacation. Throughout his travels, Nick tells people about his mission to donate in every province, raising awareness of the importance of blood donation. He is also an excellent example of how donors can support Canada’s Lifeline right across the country — even when they are on vacation! Find out more about Nick and his story on blood.ca.
Townhall August 11: Call for questions
Our next live town hall event is coming up Thursday, Aug. 11, 1–2 p.m. ET. Join our CEO, Dr. Graham Sher, and his guest panellists for updates and answers to your questions. Please submit questions in advance to communications@blood.ca with the subject line ‘TOWNHALL’ or use this anonymous form . You can also submit questions live during the event after joining with the meeting link in your Outlook invitation. A recording of the townhall will be available on the employee portal and the “Podcasts” section of the Connect on the Go app within 24 hours of the event.
Live learning workshops for productivity and collaboration
Some people like to relax in the summer months, and some are inspired to take on new challenges. This month, join our resident Microsoft 365 expert, Tim Wehrle, for any of several virtual workshops. There is a ‘basics bootcamp’ to help you master the key functions of Outlook, Teams and SharePoint. There are also more detailed sessions, to help you discover new M365 features to make your workday more efficient, or to help you improve your skill with OneNote, syncing files or task management. Please go to the Connect M365 Learning Library Live learning section to get started and check out the short video on how to book a session. You can also go directly to the booking site to register for sessions or first peruse the complete July-August schedule.
Question of the day
Am I obligated to wear a mask if a donor asks me to?
It is entirely up to each individual employee to decide if they want to wear a mask when interacting with a donor. If you decide not to wear a mask, explain that wearing a mask is a personal choice in our site at this time. The donor is welcome to wear a mask and we can also provide them with an N95 if they prefer. If you are asked why masks are no longer required in our spaces, you may share that Canadian Blood Services is a fully vaccinated workplace. Evidence shows that transmission likely occurs with prolonged exposure (at least 15 minutes), and our staff are rarely in close proximity to donors for that amount of time. Answers to frequently asked questions about masks can be found on the employee portal.
