close

Be Local by participating in area blood drives

By Frances Borsodi Zajac fzajac@heraldstandard.Com 5 min read

The holiday season means parties, shopping, church and community activities as well as travel but these factors can also lead to a decline in blood donations.

Be Local means making it a priority to participate in area blood drives.

“First off, blood is always needed year round,” said Dan Tobin, director of marketing and communications for the American Red Cross Western Pennsylvania Region. “But there are two times a year when it’s more critical – the middle of summer and the holidays.”

Tobin explained, “In the summer, a lot of people are on vacations and the schools close. A lot of schools host blood drives. In late summer, you have a lot of hurricanes that can cancel blood drives so a lot of units of blood go uncollected.

“During the holidays, people are busy and go away. Schools are closed for a few weeks and the weather is again a factor,” Tobin continued. “Major snowstorms can cancel blood drives. All of that leads to blood being left uncollected. A lot of the reasons are the same for both times but the weather changes. It’s anything that disrupts normal activity.”

Giving blood saves lives.

The Red Cross noted on its website, “Emergencies of all types occur daily across the country, and when they strike, it is the blood already on the shelves that helps saves lives. Every day, the Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 blood donations for patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide to meet the need.”

The website explained, “Type O negative blood is the universal blood type, and it is what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most-dire situations. Blood donations cannot be stockpiled, which is why the Red Cross needs blood donors to give on a regular basis to ensure accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients and those receiving treatments for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell get the lifesaving treatment they need, when they need it.”

If you want to help by donating blood, check for local drives on the Red Cross website at www.redcross.org. Click on “Give Blood” at the top of the home page and a menu appears. Click on “Find a blood drive,” which allows you to type in a zip code to find drives in your area.

The Red Cross also appreciates groups who want to sponsor blood drives, but there is a process that must be followed.

Tobin said, “If you’d like to look into hosting your own blood drive, contact your local Red Cross chapter.”

Locally, the Chestnut Ridge chapter handles Fayette and Westmoreland counties and can be reached at 724-834-6510. The Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter takes care of Greene and Washington counties and can be contacted at 888-217-9599. Residents of Somerset County fall under PA Mountains chapter and should call 814-262-3170.

Tobin noted there are three ways that people can help: donate your time, your money and your blood.

In fact, the Red Cross recently issued a call for volunteers, noting in a press release that people of all ages, backgrounds and skills are needed:

“When disaster strikes, Red Cross volunteers are there to provide food, shelter, essential relief supplies and hope to individuals displaced by fires, floods and storms. At the same time, Red Cross disaster preparedness volunteers work with children to help them understand the importance of personal and family preparedness, local hazards and basic coping skills. They canvass neighborhoods to install free smoke alarms and work together to form shelter teams that are trained to provide immediate community support during larger-scale situations.

“When military recruits prepare to leave for military service, Red Cross volunteers are there with them, explaining how the Red Cross will support them and their families throughout their military career and beyond. Red Cross volunteers can be found on every United States military base throughout the world, providing support and services.

“Red Cross volunteers help with the collection of over 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply, they provide health and mental health services following local and national disasters, and they support the international community when called upon.”

Those interested in volunteering can contact: Danielle Reed at Danielle.reed@redcross.org or 412-263-5277 for Greene and Washington counties or Crystal Smith at crystal.smith3@redcross.org or 814-262-3178 for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties.

“The American Red Cross has volunteer opportunities to match all skill sets and interest areas,” the press release noted. “When you become a Red Cross volunteer, you make a difference in the lives of others.”

Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Ted Flowers at 724-425-7231 or by email at tflowers@heraldstandard.com. Discount cards are available at the Herald-Standard, 8 E. Church St., Uniontown, and at the Greene County Messenger, 82 W. High St., Waynesburg.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $4.79/week.

Subscribe Today