Donors of all blood types urged to give in the coming weeks
As freezing temperatures and harsh weather grip much of the nation, the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to make an appointment to give blood or platelets to help meet the constant need for blood this winter.
Millions of people are expected to take to the roads, rail and air to celebrate the season, which can cause fewer donors to be available and lead to a decline in blood and platelet donations. In addition, severe winter weather and seasonal illnesses can temporarily prevent some from giving. Donors with all blood types are needed now to help patients. As a special thank you for taking the time to donate, those who come out to give Dec. 22 through Jan. 8 will receive a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.
“Many of us celebrate this time of year with loved ones, but patients may spend the holidays and ring in the new year from a hospital room,” said Alyson Barraza of the Red Cross Massachusetts Blood Services Region. “Blood and platelet donors can bring joy to patients and their families by giving blood or platelets to help ensure patients receive the lifesaving treatments they need.”
Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
Essex
Andover
1/10/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Temple Emanuel, 7 Haggetts Pond Road
12/27/2016: 1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Andover Town House, 20 Main Street
Beverly
1/12/2017: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Glen Urquhart School, 74 Hart Street
1/7/2017: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., First Baptist Church, 221 Cabot Street
Danvers
1/6/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Amity Mosaic Lodge, 30 High Street
Haverhill
1/13/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., All Saints Parish, 120 Bellevue Avenue, Rt. 97
Lawrence
12/28/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., ARC North East Disaster Services-Lawrence, 60 Island St, Ste 1
Marblehead
12/27/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 4 Community Road
Methuen
1/14/2017: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Holy Family Hospital, 70 East Street
1/3/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 462 Broadway
12/28/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 462 Broadway
Newburyport
12/29/2016: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Elks Lodge, 25 Low Street
Peabody
12/22/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Lahey Clinic – North Shore, One Essex Center Drive
12/24/2016: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m., Torigian Family YMCA Peabody, 259 Lynnfield Street
12/27/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Temple Beth Shalom Peabody, 489 Lowell Street
Salem
1/6/2017: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Yogasakti, 29 Bridge St
Saugus
1/5/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Blessed Sacrament, 14 Summer Street
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Middlesex
Arlington
1/11/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Arlington Knights of Columbus, 15 Winslow Street
Ayer
1/5/2017: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Nashoba Valley Medical Center, 200 Groton Road
Belmont
1/9/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., All Saints Church, 17 Clark Street
Burlington
1/10/2017: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., American Legion Burlington, 162 Winn St.
1/3/2017: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., American Legion Burlington, 162 Winn St.
1/9/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Nuance, One Wayside Drive
12/27/2016: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., American Legion Burlington, 162 Winn St.
12/30/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Lahey Clinic, 41 Mall Road
Cambridge
1/6/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Building 200, 200 Technology Square
12/22/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 65 Binney Street
East Pepperell
1/10/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., VFW, 55 Leighton Street – Route 113
Framingham
1/12/2017: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Framingham Plymouth Church, 87 Edgell Road
1/14/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Boston Church of Christ, 214 Concord St.
1/3/2017: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Framingham Plymouth Church, 87 Edgell Road
12/29/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Framingham Plymouth Church, 87 Edgell Road
Groton
12/27/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Union Congregational Church, 220 Main Street
Hopkinton
12/23/2016: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Islamic Masumeen Center of New England, 115 Wood
Lexington
1/11/2017: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 177 Bedford Street
1/4/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 177 Bedford Street
12/28/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 177 Bedford Street
12/30/2016: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Wilson Farm, 10 Pleasant Street
Littleton
1/3/2017: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., First Baptist Church – LSL, 461 King St
1/5/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 616 Great Road
12/24/2016: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 616 Great Road
Lowell
1/10/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Greater Lowell YMCA, 35 YMCA Drive
1/9/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Lowell Lodge of Elks, 40 Old Ferry Road
12/22/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Boott Mills Apt, 141 John St
12/29/2016: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Masonic Hall, 79 Dutton Street
Malden
1/9/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Saint Joseph’s Church, 790 Salem Street
Marlboro
1/11/2017: 2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Marlboro Masonic Hall, 8 Newton Street
12/28/2016: 2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Marlboro Masonic Hall, 8 Newton Street
Maynard
1/5/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Maynard Elks Lodge, 34 Powdermill Road
Melrose
1/4/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., VFW Post 2394, 14 Chipman Avenue
12/23/2016: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Melrose Wakefield Hospital, 585 Lebanon Street
Natick
1/9/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Natick Community Senior Center, 117 East Central St.
12/28/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Morse Institute Library, 14 East Central Street
Newton
1/4/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St
North Reading
1/13/2017: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., North Reading High School, 191 Park Street
12/29/2016: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Saint Theresas Parish Center, 63 Winter Street
Reading
1/12/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Good Samartin Lodge, AF & AM, 110 Haven Street
1/3/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Universalist Unitarian Church of Reading, 239 Woburn Street
12/23/2016: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., YMCA Reading, 36 Arthur B Lord Drive
Shirley
12/23/2016: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Anthony’s of Padua, 33 Chapel Street
Somerville
1/3/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Somerville Police Station, 220 Washington Street
Sudbury
12/23/2016: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Goodnow Library, 21 Concord Road
Wakefield
1/12/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hobbs Brook Management, 101 Edgewater Drive
12/22/2016: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Sheraton Wakefield, 1 Audobon Road
12/29/2016: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wakefield/Lynnfield United Methodist Church, 273 Vernon Street
12/30/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Saint Joseph’s Church, 173 Albion Street
Waltham
1/5/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., CBRE/New England, 200 Fifth Avenue
Watertown
1/14/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Watertown Police Department, 552 Main Street
12/30/2016: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Arsenal Mall, 485 Arsenal Street
Wayland
1/8/2017: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Temple Shir Tikva, 141 Boston Post Road
Wilmington
1/5/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 112 Middlesex ave.
Winchester
1/7/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hope Christian Church, 58 Mt. Vernon Street
Woburn
12/24/2016: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Woburn Moose, 4 Federal Street
12/31/2016: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 535 Main Street
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How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.