Every two seconds, a patient in the U.S. needs blood but fewer donors give as end-of-year holiday activities start to fill calendars. That’s why nonprofit Vitalant is urging all eligible donors to give thanks for their good health and make an appointment to give blood this November. Just an hour time commitment helps ensure every patient’s blood need can be met all through the holidays.
It takes donors of all blood types to keep the blood supply stable, especially type O and platelet donors. O-negative blood can help any patient. O-positive, the most common blood type, can help anyone with a positive blood type.
Blood Helps Even the Littlest of Patients
November is also National Prematurity Awareness Month. Premature infants commonly have anemia and need blood transfusions to help them thrive. The National Institutes of Health cites more than 80% of extremely preterm infants need at least one transfusion in their first month.
Vitalant is thanking donors in November with a chance to win one of two $10,000 prepaid gift cards in the Shopping Spree Giveaway.
Learn more and make an appointment to give by visiting vitalant.org, download the Vitalant app or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).
Upcoming Blood Drives in Contra Costa County
October 31, Friday – Antioch, Dozier-Libbey Medical High School, 10:00 AM – 1:45 PM
November 4, Tuesday – Walnut Creek, Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
November 11, Tuesday – Pleasant Hill, Stokley Properties, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
November 12, Wednesday – Martinez, Alhambra High School, 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM
November 22, Saturday – El Cerrito, Sycamore Christian Preschool, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
These are just a few of the nearly 100 community blood drives being held in November. Donors can also give at any of the six Vitalant donation centers in the area.
About Vitalant
Vitalant (Vye-TAL-ent) is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations, providing hospitals and patients across the U.S. a safe blood supply, specialized laboratory services, transfusion medicine expertise and world-renowned research. Individuals generously donating blood, volunteering and giving financially are essential to our lifesaving mission. Learn more at vitalant.org.
Rendering of the Unity Bell Tower. Source: Antioch Historical Society
Ring it Loud, Antioch! Ring it Proud!
1871 First Congregational Church bell; Society’s 50-year anniversary; 25-year anniversary at 1910 Riverview Union High School
By Carla Baker Marymee & Tom Menasco
The Antioch Historical Society invites the public on Sat., Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. rain or shine to celebrate a historically significant addition to the museum and two milestones. The groundbreaking was held on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (See related article)
The museum is dedicating the refurbished 1871 First Congregational Church Bell housed in the newly constructed Unity Bell Tower. It is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Antioch Historical Society and the 25-year anniversary of residing at the historic 1910 Riverview Union High School Building.
Through the “Ring it loud, Antioch! Ring it proud!” marketing campaign and successful fundraising initiatives, the museum raised more than $85,000.00 to refurbish what is said to be one of the oldest artifacts from the settling of Antioch by early Americans.
The First Congregational Church traces its roots to June 12, 1865 and the bell brought early members of the church together as it rung loudly across the city.
To thank the Antioch community, sponsors, and donors for their financial support, the society is having a dedication and celebration that features — free lunch and anniversary cake, free tours of the museum and the Sports Legends Hall of Fame, free souvenir bells, oldies music by DJ Jim Lanter, and jazz by the Deer Valley Jazz Band.
There will be opportunities for children to see and experience the 1927 Model “T” Ford Fire Truck and the 1929 Santa Fe Red Caboose outside. The elegant museum theater will be open and showing videos of the restored Santa Fe Red Caboose. There will also be poetry reading and special discounts to become a member of the Antioch Historical Society.
“We are very proud to have brought this church bell back to life for our community to treasure and enjoy. The celebration on Nov. 1 is our way to acknowledge and thank all who supported this project,” Shari Gayle, Antioch Historical Society president said.
According to church documents, the First Congregational Church prioritized hospitality and welcomed all without exception, including African Americans as early as 1875 and children of Chinese laborers building the Delta levees.
“The Unity Bell Tower, housing the 154-year-old bell from the First Congregational Church of 1871, honors the radically inclusive spirit of that church. It welcomed men, women, and children of all races—long before such inclusion was common,” Dwayne Eubanks, past president and project team coordinator said.
“I’m deeply grateful to have contributed to this effort—from helping secure the bell to co-designing the tower and supporting a remarkable team of volunteers through its completion. This was a labor of love, grounded in patience, collaboration, and a shared devotion to our community’s legacy. It remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my time with the Historical Society,” he said.
The project has been generously supported by major sponsors including: the City of Antioch, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Kiwanis Club of the Delta, Wayne E Swisher Cement Contractor, Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring, Inc., and the East Bay Community Foundation.
The museum received scores of individual donations from the community, local businesses, and non-profit organizations including: Delta Veterans’ Group and Antioch Veterans Banner Program, St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Fontana Family Foundation, Antioch Rotary Club, and the Class of ’66 Antioch High School.
Special thanks go to Evans & Son Masonry, Best West Roofing, Eddie’s Coats, Black Diamond Electric, and Guepardo Landscaping.
The Antioch Historical Museum resides within the 1910 Riverview Union High School, a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum, located at 1500 W. 4th St., is also home of the Antioch Sports Legends Hall of Fame program. The Sports Legends Hall of Fame showcases and honors the achievements of local individual athletes and teams. The museum is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Join us for the 11th Annual Hot Rods 4 Paws Benefit Car & Bike Show and Trunk or Treat Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.
Enjoy and participate in the Pet Costume Contest at 11:30am, Kids Costume Contest at 12:00pm on the corner of W. 2nd and G Streets and store-to-store Trick or Treating from 12:00-4:00pm.
Plus, there will be Monster Truck rides, a Kids Zone, Music and Vendors and it is FREE to the public.
The event will benefit Furry Friends Pet Relief, a 501c3 non-profit organization that assists struggling families and the homeless in the East Bay and surrounding counties with dog and cat food.
It’s that time again! Falloween is back for its 6th year of fun! Don’t miss out on this Antioch Fall Tradition.
Bring your friends and family to enjoy the Pumpkin Patch, Magic Shows, Live DJ, Sweet Treats, Games, Inflatable Activities, Swimming, Face Painting and a good time. Plus, win Costume Contests and a Pumpkin Carving Contest!
We’ll see you on Saturday, October 18th, 2025 from 2 pm – 6 pm at the Antioch Water Park located at 4701 Lone Tree Way.
By Department of Public Safety and Community Resources, City of Antioch
Community voices are essential to creating a safer, stronger Antioch. Join us on October 15th for an open conversation with City leaders and community members about public safety and violence prevention. Whether you live, work, or volunteer in Antioch, we want to hear from you.
By Elissa Harrington, Sr. Media Relations & PR Rep, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
A mobile medical vehicle provides routine and urgent care for a community recovering from a flood.
A modern community food hub opens in a struggling neighborhood, so residents don’t go hungry.
And a high school wellness room offers teenagers a welcome respite from the stresses of daily life.
These are just three examples of programs that Kaiser Permanente recently supported as part of its mission to improve health in the communities it serves. The Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Health Snapshot includes brief stories about these programs and much more.
In 2024, Kaiser Permanente invested $1.7 billion in Northern California communities and $89 million in the Diablo Service area, which includes Antioch and Walnut Creek, to support community health. A major part of that investment helped people access high-quality health care through Kaiser Permanente’s participation in Medi-Cal and its own Medical Financial Assistance program.
Kaiser Permanente also worked with many local organizations throughout Northern California to address the biggest factors that shape people’s health. The report is titled “Connection is Everything,” in recognition of the connections we make in the communities we serve to improve health.
“We partnered with community organizations to address deep-rooted barriers that keep people from being healthy, such as not having a safe place to live, enough food to eat, or money to cover life’s essentials,” said Yvette Radford, vice president, External and Community Affairs for Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “When we help keep people and communities healthy, the health care system works better for everyone.”
You can learn more about our work to improve health in your community by exploring Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s 11 local Community Health Snapshots. Go to our Northern California page and scroll down to the “Communities we serve” section.