News Briefs

Blood drive today at church to help shortage

The Canyon Lake Community Church, 30515 Railroad Canyon Road, is hosting a blood drive today (Friday) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Right now, the Red Cross needs to collect more than 1,000 additional blood donations each day across the country to meet current demand as hospitals respond to an unusually high number of traumas and emergency room visits, organ transplants and elective surgeries.

To thank donors who help refuel the blood and platelet supply this month, all who come to give through July 31 will receive a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card via email and will also receive automatic entry for a chance to win gas for a year (a $5,000 value). More information and details are available at rcblood.org/fuel. Also, all those who come to donate throughout the entire month of July will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for four to Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm. To learn more, visit rcblood.org/CedarFair.

Donors who give now will help stock the shelves for the rest of the summer season. Schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

In most cases, those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can donate. However, knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they received is important in determining donation eligibility.

Applications sought for veterans diploma project

They were away from home serving their country while classmates were marching in commencement ceremonies. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard veterans who missed out on their high school graduations due to military service have until Oct. 15 to apply for a diploma through the 2021 Operation Recognition Program.

Individuals who were interned in a Japanese-American relocation camp during World War II are also encouraged to apply.

A total of 373 veterans have received a diploma through Operation Recognition since 2007. The diplomas are awarded as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services.

In order to be eligible for a diploma, individuals must currently reside in Riverside County. Completed application forms and supporting documentation must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., on Oct. 15.

Application, forms, photos, and video from last year’s ceremony are available online at www.rcoe.us/operation-recognition. There is no charge to apply for a diploma. Applications can also be requested by telephone. Interested persons may contact Deborah Sofia at 951-826-6376 or email her at dsofia@rcoe.us.

RCOE will host an in-person ceremony this year with diplomas presented to veterans on Nov. 9.

The program is open to current residents of Riverside County whose high school education was interrupted by military service in World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Degrees can also be conferred posthumously.

Education Code Section 51440 authorizes the granting of retroactive high school diplomas to eligible veterans. Section 51430 also authorizes the retroactive granting of diplomas to Japanese-American citizens whose internment by federal order in World War II prevented them from graduating from their hometown high school.