Calling All Blood Donors!

Blood drives at schools and colleges—which make up a large portion of the American Red Cross’s collection sites—have dropped 62 percent. “The need is far greater than the supply,” says Tiffany Taylor, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross, which supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood. “There’s no replacement for blood.”

And the problem is likely to get worse. “As we go into the summer, we see a decline in donations,” she says. “Schools are out, people are traveling, the weather is nice—so donating blood drops to the bottom of the list.”

That’s why RD is putting out a call for all eligible donors to roll up their sleeves and help replenish the blood banks. Your donation could make a huge difference, especially right now.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind, whether you’re someone who has donated before and has been afraid to do so again after COVID-19, or a firsttimer in need of a dose of bravery.

FACT: IT’S safe To donate. Blood banks are required to continuously adapt to CDC safety protocols. Blood drive workers frequently sanitize surfaces and change gloves between donors.

FACT: IT Takes only about half an hour. “And with one donation—they’ve saved three lives,” says Kathy Hastings, mobile drive coordinator at Community Blood Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania and Western New York.

FACT: you CAN locate your nearest blood donation opportunity by visiting redcross.org or downloading the American Red Cross Blood Donor app. After your donation, the app will store your blood donor card for easy future access. “Wherever you see a bloodmobile, you can pull up the app and we scan it right in,” Taylor says. The app also enables you to keep track of your blood pressure, iron, and more so you can share your readings with your primary care provider.

The app even lets you know which hospital received your blood. “You might learn your donation went to a baby in the NICU,” Taylor says.