Hectic holiday schedules this time of year can mean fewer regular donors make the time for giving blood. But the American Red Cross says the need for blood remains constant. Kristen Stancil is Communications Manager with the organization.
"Well every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. It could be somebody who's in a car accident. It could be a cancer patient. It could be someone who needs an organ donation.
There are many different needs for blood," said Stancil. "We do encourage people to make sure that blood is already on the shelves before, during and after a disaster, or an emergency. That way if someone comes in, no matter what they need treatment for, the blood is already on the shelves and available for hospital personnel to use."
Stancil says the Red Cross is working to keep blood on the shelves by offering online and mobile tools to make the process a bit faster. Donors can make appointments by visiting redcrossblood.org, use the blood donor app, or use RapidPass.
"One of our new features for RapidPass is that you can actually now use it on your phone. So if you have a mobile device, if you have a home or work computer, either one of those would be a great way for you to complete some of your health history portion of the donation form, and that could save you about 15 minutes," said Stancil.
Donors can also call 1-800-Red Cross or 1-800-733-2767.