SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Two venerable San Diego organizations — the San Diego Blood Bank and Father Joe's Villages — will turn 75 in 2025, with each separately opening new facilities in the new year, it was announced today.
The blood bank and Father Joe's — then called the St. Vincent de Paul Center — both began providing assistance to San Diegans in 1950. The separate organizations will hold independent celebrations throughout the year.
Since the blood bank began operating, it has collected more than 5.5
million pints of blood from donors, while Father Joe's has helped tens of thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.
This month, the blood bank will open its 10th location in San Diego County at the Clairemont Town Square shopping center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization opened a "pop-up" collection site there to collect blood during a critical time. The 3,978 square-foot blood donation center at that same site will serve residents of Clairemont Mesa, Bay Park, Bay Ho, Kearny Mesa, Linda Vista, Pacific Beach and University City.
The 3998 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. location will be one of the SDBB's
largest centers and is set up to collect whole blood donations, double red cells, platelets and plasma. It will also feature pre-appointment screening rooms, a canteen area where donors can rest after donating, a research room, a draw floor accommodating eight to 10 donors at a time, a components room to pack blood for transport and administrative offices.
"We are a homegrown community nonprofit, founded 75 years ago on the need for San Diego to have a central organization that would collect and supply blood for hospitals locally," Douglas Morton, CEO of the San Diego Blood Bank, said in a statement. "The official opening of our new permanent Clairemont Mesa location expands our reach to diverse residents of various ethnic backgrounds, enabling improved blood matches for patients in San Diego and in Southern California.
"We're fulfilling our vision of making blood donation accessible to
everyone in San Diego. You can now find a San Diego Blood Bank blood donation center anywhere in San Diego within a 10-minute drive."
January is National Blood Donor Month. A single pint of blood can save up to three patient lives. To donate blood, you must be 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health. Go to sandiegobloodbank.org for more information about hosting a blood drive, donating blood, making a financial donation or finding the location nearest to you.
Meanwhile, Father Joe's opened a 248-bed sober shelter on Wednesday and is planning to open a 44-bed inpatient detox facility in April. Plans for 2025 also include expanding support for seniors with a new shelter at the Veterans Village San Diego Site with permanent supportive housing and case management services. The nonprofit also intends to begin prevention programs to keep people in their homes and off the street.
"We continue to be inspired by the example of all who came before us, especially Father Joe Carroll, who supported our neighbors through embodying compassion, respect, empathy, empowerment and dignity. This is the example we follow each and every day," said Deacon Jim Vargas, CEO of Father Joe's Villages. "As we have done for the past 75 years, we will continue to lead the movement to end homelessness and inspire our community through solutions and innovations necessary with both urgency and compassion."
Father Joe Carroll, the San Diego priest who transformed the
nonprofit, died in 2021 at the age of 80 after a battle with diabetes. Carroll was president and CEO of St. Vincent de Paul from 1982 until his retirement in 2011. It was renamed in his honor to Father Joe's Villages in 2015. Those interested in donating to Father Joe's can go to my.neighbor.org/take-action/.
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