Amelia Morris is the face behind an upcoming blood drive and a true example of what it means to live to serve. As her chapter’s community service committee chair, she’s turning leadership into action and service into impact.
The FFA motto challenges members across the nation to live by four simple, yet powerful lines: “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.” Every day, members strive to put these words into action, and this month the South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture FFA Chapter is proud to highlight one of its very own who truly embodies the spirit of “Living to Serve.”
Amelia Morris, who currently serves as the community service committee chair, has stepped up in a big way by organizing a schoolwide blood drive. She is partnering with the Shepard Community Blood Center, and is bringing their mobile donation bus directly to campus, making it easy for students, teachers and community members to participate.
While Shepard handles the medical side of the process, Morris has taken on the critical work of planning and coordination. “The process is pretty straightforward: Shepard brings the bus, sets up, handles everything medically, and my role is to schedule them, coordinate with the school, and promote the event so we have strong participation,” she says.
Morris also noted that students must meet the blood drive requirements. “You have to be at least 16 years old to donate, and if you’re under 18, you’ll need a signed parent consent form,” she says.
The impact of the project goes far beyond logistics; Morris shared why she feels this effort is so meaningful.
“The big impact of a blood drive is that every single donation can help save up to three lives, since the blood can be separated into different components for patients who need them,” she says.
This is why she believes it’s such a powerful project: it shows how something small can ripple out into the larger community. For Morris, the blood drive also serves as an educational and leadership opportunity.
“It is a great opportunity for high school students because it is not just about donating blood; it is about learning the responsibility of service,” she says. “For FFA members especially, it gives us a chance to practice leadership, and see firsthand what it means to live out our motto. It pushes us to think beyond competitions and events, and to look at the real ways we can make a difference.”
In her own words, Morris sees this project as more than just an event. “For me, this project is about showing that even as students, we have the ability to lead, invest in our community and step up for people we may never meet,” she says.
Morris’ leadership is proof that one idea, when fueled by compassion, can make a lasting impact. She is not just organizing a blood drive — she is showing that one initiative can inspire an entire community to serve.
