According to The Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Every day, The Red Cross needs roughly 12,500 blood donations for patients needing blood at about 2500 hospitals and transfusion centers across the nation.
Joe Lusignan is a Red Cross volunteer & board member for the local chapter.
“The Red Cross actually supplies 40 percent of our nation’s blood to hospitals. And so when we’re hurting in our donations, we’re stopping some of the procedures that are necessary for those in our community as they need help from the hospitals,” said Lusignan.
Since this time last year, The Red Cross has seen a 10% decrease in blood donations. Joe says the pandemic has played a role in the need for blood–in addition to other circumstances.
“It also increased an urgent need for the blood because people who did not have procedures done early on, now they’re becoming necessary. And so that combined with an active fire season we have an active hurricane season and like I said the need for blood never stops,” said Lusignan.
The Red Cross puts safety as a top priority for blood donors.
“Red Cross is extremely good about sanitation, they make you wear a mask inside whether you’ve been vaccinated or not. Every table gets wiped down, every bed gets wiped down after every person that gives blood,” said Lusignan.
One blood donation can help three people, like new moms, premature babies, or those fighting cancer.
“In our community especially we are known to be a generous community. And literally, I think it’s inherent to all of us that we want to feel like we’re making a difference. The best way to make a difference in someone’s life is to donate blood when needed,” said Lusignan.
You can go to redcrossblood.org and enter your zip code to find a place to donate blood near you.
Kennewick
9/15/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., American Red Cross Kennewick, 7202 W Deschutes
9/20/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Kennewick Irrigation District Kennewick, 2015 S. Ely St.
9/22/2021: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Finley Community Center, 222204 E Game Farm Rd
9/24/2021: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., American Red Cross Kennewick, 7202 W Deschutes
10/5/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., St. Joseph’s Parish, 506 S. Garfield Street
10/7/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., American Red Cross Kennewick, 7202 W Deschutes
10/11/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross Kennewick, 7202 W Deschutes
10/12/2021: 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Meier Architecture – Engineering, 12 W. Kennewick Ave
10/15/2021: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., American Red Cross, 7202 W Deschutes Avenue
Prosser
10/7/2021: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Benton REA, 402 7th Street
Richland
Richland Blood Donation Center, 447 Wellsian Way – see RedCrossBlood.org for times
9/17/2021: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Bechtel – Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr.
9/23/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Battelle – Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr.
9/23/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1107 Wright Ave
9/24/2021: 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Oasis Physical Therapy & Sports Queensgate, 1020 Queensgate Dr.
9/28/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Battelle – Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr.
10/4/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of LDS Kennewick Stake Gage, 895 Gage Blvd.
10/15/2021: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Kadlec Medical Center, 888 Swift Blvd
West Richland
10/1/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., LDS – Keene Bldg. – West Richland, 1307 Watkins Way
