Christine Gerety, or (310) 566-1531.
Health Ministry at St. Monica promotes the spiritual health of the whole person and is supported by a Providence St. John’s Faith Community Nurse (Parish Nurse). Through a mind, body, and spirit approach, Health Ministry offers health and wellness information to our parish community. This approach expands and builds upon our parish’s traditional outreach of visitation to the sick, support groups, and referrals to community agencies.
How does 1 = 3? Because when you donate 1 pint of blood, you can help save 3 lives! Donate at our next Blood Drive on January 15. Register now and use the code "StMonicaSM"
Click Here to Register for January 15!
Interested in volunteering at the Blood Drive? Contact Christine at or 310-566-1531.
We heed the call for blood donations, as our nation continues to experience a critical shortage. The need for blood is a constant need. The Health Ministry team works with the American Red Cross for Blood Drives every quarter.
St. Monica parishioners are consistently amazing in their response to help others!
For example, in May, our representative from the Red Cross sent us the following message:
St. Monica saved up to 174 LIVES on Sunday, May 16!!! YES!!! . . . We are always amazed with the tremendous day with have with St. Monica's! It's easy, the donors are kind and the warmth is palpable . . .
May Goal: 46 units Collected: 58 units (A St. Monica record!!)
Let’s do it again, St. Monica, & make our January drive another record-breaker!
by Helen Brooks, Red Cross Volunteer
Sometimes through tears, Yesenia Miranda Meza, a Red Cross employee in the Red Cross Serving San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter, tells the story of her father contracting COVID-19 and then receiving convalescent plasma leading to his full recovery.
[T]hrough the grace of God, Yesenia said, who she believed was working alongside hospital staff, Jesus started his road to recovery just two days later. Divine intervention and convalescent plasma had carried him through.
Click Here to Read More About Yesenia and Jesus' Story.
There are many reasons why someone would want to give blood. Here are a few stories collected from some of our Health Ministry volunteers [Anne-Marie, Dianna, Elena Jay, Josephine, Kristine, Lynn, Matt, Patricia, and Steve) during last year's Blood Drives.
In sitting and chatting with people during their "recovery period" after giving blood, and while enjoying some snacks, they struck up conversations with people and they learned why some people chose to donate blood. For one parishioner, it's an expression of gratitude, for another it's a reminder and opportunity, and for yet another, it's an opportunity to honor her family legacy:
These inspiring moments are jsut some of the stories that motivate our community to give and give again!
The last few years, we have either met or exceeded our goals. This year we hope you can be a part of the life-saving, yet simple way to give back to our community.
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