Vitalant, Facebook bring blood donation partnership to region

Vitalant, formerly known as LifeShare Community Blood Services, is a partnering blood center on Facebook’s blood donation feature which launched in select U.S. cities in June.

Now, people in Northeast Ohio can use the feature on Facebook to find nearby opportunities to donate, according to a news release.

More than 30,000 blood donations are needed every day in the U.S. for patients affected by trauma, elective and emergency surgeries, cancer and blood disorders.

The tool is designed to help raise awareness and blood donation opportunities every day, as well as in times of need, whether due to tragedy or seasonal declines in donation, the release said.

This feature allows any registered user to respond to the call for blood donations and become part of the solution to the nation’s escalating blood shortages.

Vitalant’s partnership with Facebook previously has seen donor engagement in Bangladesh, Brazil, India and Pakistan, according to the release.

“Facebook’s commitment to working with nonprofits through their Social Good efforts to combat increasing blood scarcities is admirable,” said Mitzy Edgecomb, vice president of marketing and communications at Vitalant. “We are proud to align with an iconic technology brand dedicated to bringing people together to elevate awareness of the need and amplify the call for donors who can transform lives.”

Everyone is encouraged to register as a blood donor by navigating to “Blood Donations” in the “About” section of their Facebook profile to learn about and take action on blood donation opportunities in their area, the release said.

Facebook will roll out the feature in other communities in the coming months.

“We strive to help people better support their communities and collectively improve public health,” said Hema Budaraju, product director, health at Facebook. “We’re proud to partner with Vitalant and other blood centers to help raise awareness and prevent seasonal shortages.”