Please donate blood and safe a life

In celebration of National Volunteer Blood Donor Month, Community Blood Services is continuing to honor its blood and platelet donors as “heroes” for helping to save the lives of patients in community hospitals. Anyone who donates though Monday, Jan. 31 ,at Community Blood Services’ donor collection sites in New York and New Jersey will receive a “One Hero at a Time” T-shirt and also be eligible to win one of two 12.1 megapixel Canon Powershot A3100 IS digital cameras. Blood centers nationwide are recognizing and thanking their blood donors this month for taking time out of their busy schedules throughout the year to make lifesaving blood donations. Blood donors are our everyday heroes, saving lives in our community all year long. They deserve to be recognized for their unselfish donations. Donors can log onto www.communitybloodservices.com for locations and hours for the various donation sites, including the New Windsor Donor Center, or to schedule an appointment, or they can call toll free - 866-228-1500. Walk-ins are also welcome but an appointment is needed to donate platelets. We’re hoping community members will become first-time blood donors as one of their New Year’s resolutions, or that our current donors will resolve to donate more often this year. These are resolutions that are easy to stick to and donors will have the satisfaction of knowing they are helping to save lives. More than 4.5 million patients need blood transfusions in the U.S. each year and it is becoming more critical that people become regular donors who give three or four times a year. We can ensure blood is always on the shelves and available at Community Blood Services - “One Hero at a Time’ - when patients in our community hospitals need it. Every donor is a hero in our eyes when they take time out of their busy schedules to give the gift of life. Recent snowstorms have hurt the blood supply because fewer donors came out to donate, centers were closed and mobile drives were canceled. Currently, there is less than a one-day supply of blood on the shelves and all types are needed, especially O-, O+ and B- in order to meet the needs of patients at area hospitals. Platelets are also needed to treat patients diagnosed with cancer or other blood disorders, especially on the first few days of the week, and about 60 Type O cmv negative donors are needed every week to treat babies in our area hospitals. Community Blood Services provides blood and blood products to more than 30 hospitals in New York and New Jersey. Whole blood donors must be 17-75 years old (16 years old with parental permission) and weigh at least 110 pounds. Donors also receive complimentary non-fasting cholesterol and glucose screenings at the time of their donations. Patrice Foresman Director of Recruitment Community Blood Services New Windsor