Year-round schedule to help keep hospital's blood supply flowing

With many blood banks struggling to keep a proper stock, the Barrington Area Development Council is making sure there are plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks to donate.

The BADC has created a program -- Barrington BloodLine, -- which is intended to draw attention to a year-round schedule of blood drive events, to help fulfill the blood supply needs of Barrington's Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital.

BADC is coordinating the program with the nonprofit LifeSource, along with Good Shepherd Hospital and other participating community groups -- including the Ministerial Association and Barrington Area Unit District 220.

The next Barrington BloodLine events will take place at the Village Church of Barrington between 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Nov. 27, at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Dec. 7 and at St. Anne Catholic Church between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec 9.

According to program organizers, the need for blood donations is increasing in the area, especially in light of the recent opening of the Cardiac Center and the expansion of the emergency department at Good Shepherd Hospital.

The goal of Barrington BloodLine is to have fewer, but larger, blood drive events, about six or seven each year, so that donors can plan to give at regular intervals, if desired.

Donors are eligible to donate whole blood every 56 days. The entire donation process, from registration to post-donation refreshments, takes about one hour.

For more information, contact a Barrington BloodLine representative at (847) 756-4184, or LifeSource at (847) 803-7943.

Craft fair: Find unique, international gifts and help Third World countries at the same time by shopping at the "Ten Thousand Villages" Craft Sale this Sunday at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road.

The event, scheduled from 9 until 10:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will feature beautiful, handcrafted items.

For more information, call (847) 382-9530.

Toys for Tots: The village of North Barrington will have collection boxes for the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

Started in 1947, the Toys for Tots program collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December then in turn gives those as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community

Collection sites include the North Barrington village hall; Learning Express Toys of Lake Zurich, 315 S. Rand Road; and Learning Express of Barrington, 200 Applebee St.

Toys will be collected until Dec. 20.

Insurance questions?: For those seniors needing help with health insurance questions, the Barrington Area Council on Aging is here to help.

The council will provide assistance to area seniors trying to decide which Medicare Part D insurance policy they will enroll in.

Assistance will be available through the end of December at the council's office, 6000 Garlands Lane, Suite 100 in Barrington.

Seniors and caregivers can call (847) 381-5030 to schedule an appointment or for more information.