Skip to main content

Mississippi Blood Services Salutes Shari Barnes


Shari Barnes seldom slows down as director of Mississippi College's Community Service Center.

Helping with campus blood drives, working with the MC tutoring center at a Clinton apartment complex or volunteering with Stewpot are some of her assignments. She also is a leader with MC's annual United Way campaign that raised more than $19,000 to help needy folks and agencies in metro Jackson.

Recently, Mississippi Blood Services in Jackson named Barnes its 2009 Blood Drive Coordinator of the Year.

"It was quite an honor to receive this statewide recognition," Barnes said. "It says to those who need blood that the faculty, staff and students at Mississippi College care even if we do not know the recipients of the blood donations."

An MC graduate, Barnes is also working on a master's degree in Christian Education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She is a children's minister at County Line Baptist Church in Crystal Springs.

Blood drives alone keep her quite busy. MC hosts four drives each year. In 2009-2010, faculty, staff and students donated more than 400 units of blood.

She's worked with blood drives with United Blood Services and Mississippi Blood Services for nearly four years on the Clinton campus.

Her interest in blood drives dates back much longer.

Her father was hospitalized eight years ago and needed blood in a hurry. He quickly received 15 units of blood to keep him alive. "We were able to have three more years with my father because of the generosity of blood donors," Barnes said."I will never forget what it means to donate blood to someone in need," she said. "You never know when someone you love or yourself may need blood."

Donations to Mississippi Blood Services go to scores of hospitals across the Magnolia State.