The Red Cross is issuing an emergency alert for blood donations amid a summer slowdown in giving.
According to the agency, the alert is effective through the end of August, as blood donations typically slow down during the summer months as donors take vacations and as accidents lead to an increased need for blood.
“We collect a lot of blood during the school year, from high schools and colleges, and that shuts off during the summer,” Joy Squire of the American Red Cross said. “People are just busy. They’re on vacation, and they have a lot of things to do.”
The agency is releasing PSA’s to help encourage donations, especially from those with O-negative blood types.
The Red Cross is also promoting a new app, hoping to reach out to younger donors as the rate of new donors giving blood has declined by 80,000 over the last four years.
The Red Cross has provided a website where prospective donors can type in their zip code and find a donation site or upcoming blood drive in their area.
