Holiday season and two winter storms slow December blood donations
Approaching Christmas Day, Vitalant in Northern Nevada, formerly United Blood Services, is aiming to collect more than 3,500 donations in December to increase the community blood supply. Recent winter storms have caused blood drive cancellations and reduced blood collections at local Vitalant donation centers.
To meet patient needs, Vitalant encourages residents to schedule their December donation appointment during this month.
Additionally, Vitalant is partnering with Smith’s Food and Drug to provide meals to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. For each blood donor seen this month, Smith’s Food and Drug will donate one meal to a local family in need. Vitalant’s goal is to collect over 3,500 donations and to help feed over 3,500 families. After the first week of collections over 900 donations and meals have been reached.
“As a community, we typically see a drop in blood donations throughout Northern Nevada during this point of the year due to many reasons. Yet every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood,” says Alma Webb, Donor Outreach Supervisor at Vitalant. “As a blood donor, you have an opportunity to give the ultimate gift to patients this holiday season, the gift of life while helping to feed local families.”
The holiday season is always a challenging time to collect blood donations due to routine donors away on holiday travel, cold and flu season impacting the health of our community and other competing holiday priorities. However, Vitalant strives to keep a four-day supply of every blood type available at all times to meet the needs of patients at 20 hospitals in Northern Nevada and communities through out our service areas.
Donations from O-negative donors, the universal blood type, are especially important this time of year due to the challenges faced in collecting blood. Additionally, platelet donations, which have a shelf-life of only five days, are always in high demand. However, donors of all types are needed.
To schedule a donation appointment, please visit Vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825. Walk-ins are also welcome.
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