One year after Maui wildfires, remembering the importance of help and hope

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By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

Today, August 8th marks the one-year anniversary of the Maui wildfires, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. Most of the town of Lahaina was devastated. 3,710 homes were destroyed or made unlivable, and the confirmed death toll is now 102. As always, the American Red Cross quickly responded to the disaster and worked with partner organizations to bring much needed assistance.

Several workers from the Northern Ohio Region joined the disaster relief operation on Maui, including Regional CEO Mike Parks, Regional Disaster Officer Emily Probst, Disaster Program Manager Tim Reichel, and Regional Communications Director Jim McIntyre. Several regional volunteers deployed as well, including IT specialist Randy Liang and Medina-based volunteer Monica Bunner.

Photos, from top left: Ohio Representative Dave Joyce and Mike Parks, Emily Probst, Tim Reichel, Jim McIntyre and Monica Bunner

For the anniversary, I spoke with Monica, who deployed to Maui for three weeks in late August and early September 2023, serving in the Disaster Recovery Operation headquarters as a Community Engagement and Partnership Manager.

Since she began volunteering with the Red Cross in 2017, Monica has deployed to several national disasters and serves as a disaster responder among other roles here in Ohio. Even with such experience, she had seen nothing quite like the Maui wildfires’ aftermath.

Randy Liang and Monica Bunner

Seeing the area following the disaster was a bittersweet experience for Monica. She had been to Maui several times before, mostly for relaxation, and knew the community. “I felt I really needed to be there to help,” she said.

And help was desperately needed. Monica said that the level of devastation was so widespread, and that the disaster unfolded with such speed that many of those affected were dazed, shocked, confused, and did not know how to proceed.

There was an immediate need for Monica to put her experience and organizational skills to work. Hawaii-based Red Cross personnel worked closely with those deployed from across the U.S., and the Red Cross coordinated with partner relief organizations and community representatives.

Monica said engaging and working with community leaders was critical, as Maui’s population is exceptionally diverse. (Maui County states its cultural heritages include Hawaiian, Japanese, Caucasian, Filipino, Chinese, Korean, Tongan, Samoan, and others.) As some groups were unfamiliar with Red Cross services and the commitment to help everyone following a disaster, Monica said ensuring all those impacted knew they had somewhere to turn for help was important, and she made sure to take time for everyone.

Each day, Monica had a stark reminder of the devastation. The shelter and headquarters were on opposite sides of Lahaina, and with each commute she saw the fire’s remnants and the growing memorials to the many lost lives.

And each day, Monica also saw the importance of Red Cross services. She and other Red Cross personnel took part in helping people find food, shelter, and supplies, locate loved ones, get critical information, receive financial assistance, connect with partner organizations, and find friendly, helpful faces and smiles. And most importantly, through all this, they helped people find hope. Monica said there is, “Definitely hope. Always hope.”

Watch this video on the one-year anniversary of the Red Cross response to the Maui Wildfires:

Finally, disasters occur each day, including Tropical Storm Debby, the current Park Fire, and home fires. Please consider volunteering or supporting the Red Cross.

Editor’s note: Hurricane Debby’s torrential rains are exacerbating the national blood shortage announced by the Red Cross on Monday.

Debby’s devastating flooding, power outages and travel hazards have forced the cancellation of blood drives in the Southeast, causing hundreds of lifesaving blood products to go uncollected when more donations are so desperately needed.

Tuesday’s tornadoes in Northeast Ohio also resulted in cancelled blood drives on Wednesday, resulting in about 130 donations going uncollected.

Even as we work to overcome this blood shortage, the Red Cross is providing food, shelter and comfort to communities affected by the hurricane in the Southeast and wildfires in the West. And disaster workers in Northeast Ohio continue responding to requests for assistance from residents whose homes suffered structural damage.

People urgently need aid now. You can help by making an appointment to give blood or platelets or financial donation by visiting redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800- 733-2767).

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross volunteer

Lifting of restrictions opens window for new blood donors

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One-year anniversary of blanket deferral that prevented blood donations

By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

If you’ve ever attended a blood drive in the past and were turned away due to a deferral, there has never been a better time to reassess your eligibility. Over the past two years, two important deferrals that have been in place since the 1980s have been modified or lifted, increasing the ever-needed pool of eligible blood donors.

In 1986, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, colloquially known as “Mad Cow Disease,” was discovered in cattle in the United Kingdom. This disease was found to be transmissible to humans if infected meat was eaten and caused a number of illnesses, including a variant of Cruetzfeld-Jakob disease (vCJD), a degenerative, fatal disease that affects the central nervous system of the host.

U.S. Air Force veteran John Dowell of Lakewood  gave blood after the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob
(mad cow) Disease deferral was lifted.

Due to this, during the 1980’s and 90’s the Food and Drug Administration restricted people who had visited certain European countries from donating blood in the United States in an effort to prevent the transmission of vCJD. The American Red Cross honored this ban, which remained in place until 2022 when it was removed after a steep decline in reported cases and no signs of a second wave.

Additionally, in 2023 a second long-standing deferral that restricted gay and bisexual men from donating was modified to remove the blanket deferral and instead assess people on a case-by-case basis. This deferral was originally created in an attempt to curb the spread of HIV, which became an epidemic in the 1980s.

Red Cross worker and volunteer, Mark Fleischer

Both of these deferrals affected long-time Red Cross worker and volunteer, Mark Fleischer, who was able to donate blood for the first time in decades back in January of this year. You can read his story HERE and learn of his great pride in being able to donate again after years of ineligibility.

When I spoke to him back in January, he indicated that not only was he previously affected by the deferrals placed on gay men, but because of his brief time living in England back in 1992 and because of fears surrounding Mad Cow disease, he had been told he was ineligible to donate for life. Now all of that has changed with the recent modifications to blood donor eligibility requirements.

Mark Fleischer and phlebotomist Ed Leonardi

In an update since his January 2024 donation, Mark told me that he has helped organize and has participated in many successful blood drives at the Willoughby Senior Center, some of which have exceeded their goal for blood donations. He is also personally scheduled to donate blood again at the end of this month.

“Recruiting for blood donors is in full force and things are going great,” he said. He also previously told me, “You may have been deferred decades ago for something that may no longer be in place. So I want to encourage people to look at the questions that the Red Cross asks (and) look at the deferred list…those deferrals or restrictions may have been lifted.”

Mark Fleischer and Red Cross staff at blood drive

Check out the Red Cross Give Blood page to learn more about eligibility requirements, and to find a local blood drive near you.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

Being prepared for extreme weather

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Hurricanes aren’t the only disaster to prepare for

By Eilene Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

Here we are on August 1st, the beginning of high season for hurricanes.

Are you ready?

I know, I know. Here in northern Ohio, we’re lucky: We don’t suffer the way they do on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, where 2024 has already started to be a memorable hurricane year.

But that’s not to say we’re immune from summer/fall disasters: tornadoes, flash flooding, even human-caused emergencies.

So, it’s a good time to review American Red Cross preparedness advice:

  • Build a kit of things you’ll need to grab if the unexpected occurs;
  • Have an evacuation plan that you’ve reviewed with your family recently;
  • Stay informed about your community’s risks and how local officials will alert you with important information. Plus, download the free Red Cross Emergency app for weather alerts and more safety tips.

But there’s one more thing you can do right now: Get ready to be a disaster responder.

Joe Guilfoyle of Cleveland did that: After he retired from teaching and coaching, “I wanted to do something that had meaning, purpose. That would help people.” So, he linked up with the Red Cross.

“Most of my training was virtual,” he said. “The (training) programs were spot on,” so when Hurricane Ian hit Florida in September 2022, he felt ready to go.

“Ian was very destructive,” he said. “People lost everything. To see so much devastation was heartbreaking… It’s a great thing to be involved with helping people.

“One other thing I didn’t expect: Working with the other volunteers. You meet some tremendous people.”

“Today, the Red Cross is responding to more large disasters – almost twice as many – than we did a decade ago,” said Jessi Caruso, who manages disaster volunteer engagement across the northern Ohio region. “With natural disasters coming at us one right after another, we need more volunteers trained and ready to support families who are suddenly in need.

“We’re committed to being sure that volunteers have a positive experience. By connecting with new volunteers in advance, we can answer questions and share the knowledge and training that will make for a good fit.”

Disaster volunteers provide shelter, comfort, hot meals, health services and recovery support across the country. There are also roles in logistics, transportation, damage assessment (That’s what Joe did.), volunteer support, lodging and liaison with other response partners. Some jobs can even be done remotely, by people who can’t leave home.

The Red Cross is always looking for new volunteers who are team-oriented and want to make an immediate difference. That’s why taking the free on-line training is so important.

“They’ve put a step-by-step plan together, to respond to these situations,” Joe Guilfoyle said. “They can bring folks together from all over to get the job done.”

If you’d like to be ready to help those near home or across the country who have been hit by a disaster, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday. If you need help filling out the volunteer application, send an email to  NEOVolunteer@redcross.org, or call 216-431-3328.

Pre-deployment training complete: Nasir is underway

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By Mike Parks, Regional CEO, American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Last Thursday, on the 25th of July, I travelled to Camp Atterbury in Indiana, to participate in the sendoff for Team 55.  Team 55 is a group of 21 Red Crossers from around the United States who are deploying to military bases around the globe to help support United States service members who are stationed overseas. 

Trevor Riggen, Nasir Ahmad, and Mike Parks

Our own Nasir Ahmad, Northern Ohio’s first Service to Armed Forces Mobile Specialist, is a member of Team 55.   The sendoff was the end of a pre-deployment training period that helped prepare the team members for their assignments.  Both Trevor Riggen, President of Humanitarian Services, and Michael Jordan, Vice President of SAF/International Services US Field Operations, travelled to Indiana to address the team—thanking them for their sacrifice and willingness to support our deployed service members.  They each shared personal stories of their time in the Peace Corps (Trevor) and deployments as a U.S. Marine (Michael) and the vital role the Red Cross played in their lives. 

Michael Jordan addresses deploying SAF Specialists

I had the privilege of joining Nasir and his teammates at a barbeque lunch that was supported by volunteers from the Indiana Region.  It was great to spend some quality time with Nasir prior to his departure.  I was also able to personally express the well- wishes of his Northern Ohio colleagues, many of whom were gathered in Cleveland for an all-staff meeting at the same time as the sendoff. 

Deploying SAF Specialists

My personal highlight of the trip to Camp Atterbury was to see how prepared Nasir is for his deployment and how appreciative he is for the support of his colleagues in Northern Ohio.  As Nasir heads to Baghdad, Iraq to support our service members, I’m confident he’ll bring them the same degree of joy and comfort he’s been able to bring all of us over the past year.  He’ll be in our thoughts and prayers as we look forward to his return in six months!

Nasir Ahmad at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, July 28, 2024

Editor’s note: Early Monday morning, July 29 th , Nasir emailed this photo and quote: “I’m at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.  Our fellow Red Crossers here are great and the volunteers are extraordinarily committed.  But I’ll be leaving here soon and arriving at my deployment site so, hopefully, my next email to you will be from Baghdad, Iraq.”

Previous article: https://nohredcross.org/2024/07/12/regional-specialist-bagdad-bound/

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Remodeled office space puts a smile on my face – and other faces, too

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By Todd James, Executive Director, American Red Cross of North Central Ohio

When you work as hard as our American Red Cross team does every day, it is important that the space you are working in is comfortable and that you look forward to spending time there. We are excited to say that our North Central Ohio Chapter headquarters in Findlay is such a place! Recently, the office was completely renovated top to bottom, inside and out, as part of a nationwide office refresh initiative by the Red Cross.

Todd James outside the new Findlay headquarters

With fresh paint inside and out, building repairs, new flooring, new fixtures in the bathrooms, more accessibility including automatic doors, a new parking lot, new signage and more, our office is now a place where volunteers, community partners, families who are meeting with disaster recovery specialists and all visitors will feel welcome and comfortable.

It is surprising how much your mood can be lifted when you are working in a bright, clean, welcoming space and we are glad to offer such a space to our team and those we serve. We are very involved in our community, offering our location to partners and community organizations who need a meeting or workspace and now we can offer, in my opinion, the best location in town for groups to meet, a real showcase for the Red Cross and our commitment to our stakeholders and our community.

Pre-ribbon cutting

During a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 18th , representatives of the Findlay- Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and the Findlay Fire Department joined Red Cross board members, volunteers and employees to dedicate the newly refreshed space, along with a representative from U.S. Senator JD Vance’s office. On the day after Ohio’s junior Senator accepted the nomination for Vice President from the Republican Party, I accepted a proclamation stating, in part, “The Red Cross has long been a beacon of hope and support for countless individuals and communities in times of need, and your renovated office will undoubtedly enhance your capacity to deliver these critical services more efficiently and effectively.”

If you couldn’t join us for our Open House, we invite you to stop by our office at 125 Fair St. in Findlay and see for yourself. We will give you the “nickel tour” and tell you about the many volunteer opportunities available, so you can make this your home away from home.

See more photos from the ribbon cutting ceremony in our photo album here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Regional Specialist Bagdad Bound

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By Mary Falconer-Williams, American Red Cross volunteer

Since 1898, when Clara Barton sailed to Cuba with supplies for those affected by the Spanish-American War, the American Red Cross and the United States Armed Forces have maintained a unique relationship.

Service to the Armed Forces Program Specialist Nasir Ahmad

Today, that relationship takes the form of one special position, the Service to the Armed Forces Program Specialist—a position which, in Northern Ohio, is held by Nasir Ahmad.

“Nasir has been an invaluable member of the Service to Armed Forces/International Services team in Northern Ohio,” wrote Dr. Alaina Foster, Regional Program Manager for the department. “I’m glad he will have the opportunity to share his passion for connecting service members to the many resources offered through the Red Cross, during his deployment.”

This specialist position was created to assist in the delivery of Red Cross programs and services, in order to meet the needs of military members, veterans, and their families while focusing on supporting the delivery of International Services including:

● International Humanitarian Law
● Youth Action Campaign
● Restoring Family Links

Additionally, Nasir is part of a special workforce required to deploy on short-term assignments. Which means, he is headed to Bagdad, Iraq for six months! During his deployment, he will focus on ensuring Training Services programs like First Aid and CPR are supported and promoted in the jurisdiction, and assist in maintaining a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with local Armed Forces Blood Service Programs.

Nasir Ahmad and Alaina Foster

“I couldn’t be prouder of Nasir as he deploys overseas to provide members of our Armed Forces Red Cross services,” stated Mike Parks, Regional CEO. “As a retired veteran himself, Nasir knows firsthand the value of the support provided by the dedicated members of the Red Cross Service to Armed Forces deployed staff and volunteers. I join our entire Northern Ohio Region in thanking Nasir for his deployment and wishing him a safe return!”

Nasir was born and raised in Cleveland. Shortly after graduating high school, he joined the Air Force where he worked as an aircraft mechanic (Crew Chief), first on the C-130 cargo plane and then on the B-1 bomber. Nasir retired after 21 years of active-duty service and returned home where he attended Cleveland State University and graduated with a business degree.

“The Red Cross was a great fit. In Service to the Armed Forces, the Red Cross’ oldest line of service, I’m able to help veterans in Northern Ohio and stay connected to the military community,” said Nasir. “And now…I’m on my way to Baghdad!”

See more photos from the send-off for Nasir here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Military Veteran Moms-to-be get support from Red Cross Tiffany Circle women

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By Jill Patterson, American Red Cross Senior Regional Philanthropy Officer

The Northern Ohio Tiffany Circle Women’s leadership society recently partnered with American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces to create baby bundles to be donated at two baby showers for women veterans.  The Red Cross was invited by the Veterans Administration to partner with them at their bi-annual drive-through baby shower.  35 expecting mothers were identified by the VA as recipients of the donated items. 

The Tiffany Circle encouraged members, friends, family and Red Cross staff to help purchase baby items from our identified Amazon list.  The group met in Akron on June 6 to assemble the baby bundles and on Saturday, June 8th they volunteered at both the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and Akron VA Clinic to distribute the gifts to the expecting mothers.  The mothers-to-be were overjoyed by the support; most were expecting their first child.

Volunteers from the American Legion and the Blue Star Moms joined the event and had donated bags filled with diapers and wipes along with backpacks filled with additional baby items.  The event is held twice a year and we look forward to helping again this fall! 

If you would like to join us in supporting this effort, please visit our Amazon link  to purchase items for the fall showers, date TBD.  Items will be delivered to the Greater Akron & the Mahoning Valley Chapter. 

Learn more about the Tiffany Circle here.

See more photos here.

To learn more about the Red Cross and our mission work, visit redcross.org/noh

Four ways to stay safe this 4th of July

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By Samantha Pudelski, American Red Cross volunteer

Fourth of July plans usually include fireworks, barbeques, and spending time near
water to stay cool in the warm July sun. Whether you plan to do all of these things or
just one of them, the American Red Cross wants you to enjoy a safe and fun fourth of
July holiday. Think of these four areas of safety this holiday weekend:

  1. Fireworks Safety
     The safest way to enjoy fireworks is by attending a public firework show that
    is put on by professionals.
     If you are planning to set off fireworks at home, make sure to:
    o Light fireworks at a safe distance from people, animals, structures,
    vehicles or anything that is flammable. Do not point or throw
    fireworks anyone or anything.
    o Never give fireworks to small children.
    o Follow the instructions on the fireworks packaging.
    o Have a supply of water close as a precaution.
    o If you the person lighting the fireworks, wear eye protection.
    o Only light one firework at a time. Never attempt to relight a “dud.”
    o Store fireworks away from children and pets, in a cool, dry place.
     There are many free community fireworks displays throughout Northern
    Ohio planned for the July 4 th weekend. Visit your city’s website for details or
    the links below to find fireworks displays near you.
    o Northern Ohio area fireworks
    o Youngstown area fireworks
    o Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan area fireworks

  2. Water Safety
     Anyone near water, whether it is a pool, lake, water park or other body of
    water, should know how to swim.
     At minimum, everyone should have water competency, meaning they can
    enter the water, take a breath, stay afloat, change positions, swim for a
    distance and get out of the water safely.
     Always swim in an area where lifeguards are on duty.
     Get out of the water at the first sign of thunder or lightning. Stay indoors and
    away from water at least 30 minutes after the last streak of lightning or roar
    of thunder.
     Watch children in or near the water closely and constantly.
     Pools and spas should be fenced with adequate, four-sided fencing.
     Children and inexperienced swimmers should wear a properly fitted U.S.
    Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Everyone on a boat should wear a life
    jacket, regardless of their ability to swim.

 If swimming in an open body of water, such as a lake, river or ocean, make
sure to swim with a buddy and walk carefully into open waters.
 If you get caught in a rip current, stay calm and try not to panic. Signal to
those on shore that you need help. Swim parallel to the shore until free of the
current and then swim towards the shore.

  1. Grilling Safety
     Grilling sparks more then 10,000 home fires each year.
     Always supervise a barbeque grill when it’s being used.
     Never grill indoors or in any enclosed area.
     Make sure people and pets stay away from the grill.
     Keep the grill away from the house, deck, tree branches or anything that
    could catch fire.
     Never add charcoal-started fluid to coals that have already been lit.

  2. Heat Safety
     Stay hydrated – drink enough water to help prevent heat illness.
     Make a plan to stay cool during the hottest parts of the day.
     Gather emergency supplies – create a kit for your home and when you’re on
    the go.
     Learn how to recognize and respond to heat illness. Learn CPR and first aid.

Bonus Number 5: Have some Free Time this Fourth of July? Donate Blood and
See a Movie

This July, The Red Cross, has teamed up with Universal Pictures’ new film,
TWISTERS to help avoid a summer blood shortage. Anyone who comes to give blood
or platelets with the Red Cross between July 1 and July 31 will get a Fandango Movie
Ticket via email. Learn more about the partnership and get more details here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

First-time blood donor leads efforts to increase donations to aid those with sickle cell disease

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By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

When Dr. LaTrice Snodgrass puts her mind to a project, she goes all in.

Recently, she partnered with the American Red Cross and others to stage a blood drive targeted at the Black community, to benefit people living with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Dr. LaTrice Snodgrass and Kim Kroh, executive director of the Heartland, Stark and Muskingam Lakes chapter of the Red Cross

Not only did she spearhead the event, she literally rolled up her sleeve to donate blood – for the first time.

Through this donation, LaTrice learned that her blood is negative for three components, which makes her an ideal SCD donor. Blood transfusions from donors like LaTrice are vital to let SCD patients live comfortable, healthy lives.

LaTrice knows the importance of blood donations from her own racial community. More than 100,000 Americans — mostly African Americans — have sickle cell disease, which causes acute pain and over time damages vital organs. Her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, put out a national call to boost donations from African Americans. “I told my sisters, we need to do this,” she said.

“I know there is a resistance in the Black community to trusting the medical establishment, but we have to overcome that. Our blood is truly lifesaving.” she said, explaining her decision to give blood for the first time, despite not being enthusiastic about needles.

SCD is an inherited condition that distorts soft, round red blood cells, turning them hard and crescent shaped. As a result, blood can’t flow smoothly to carry oxygen throughout the body, causing fatigue, severe pain, tissue and organ damage and even strokes.

Kim Kroh, executive director of the Heartland, Stark and Muskingam Lakes chapter of the Red Cross, was delighted to support LaTrice’s initiative. The project soon recruited the Strong Family Wellness Weekend, sponsored by Sean and Shaheedrah Strong, as well as the Black Nurses Association, Akron Children’s Hospital and Beacon Charitable Pharmacy, where LaTrice serves as CEO.

The drive at the Canton Civic Center exceeded its collection goal and, importantly, involved a lot of first-time donors.

“When the time comes for me to donate again, I plan to. And I’m going to reach out to my sorority sisters and friends to remind them that they need to donate again too,” she said.

Kim Kroh from the Red Cross, who has been giving blood for years, was on hand to support LaTrice through her first “poke.”

“I have a passion for (the cause of) sickle cell,” Kim said. “I know a teenager with sickle cell. What they go through is just terrible.”

The Red Cross supplies some 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply and launched a specific Sickle Cell Initiative three years ago to boost blood collection for this set of recipients.

Although Kim’s blood isn’t uniquely beneficial for SCD patients, it’s also vital: Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, to deal with complications of childbirth, treatment for cancer, surgery or emergency room trauma.

To learn more about SCD or to make an appointment to donate blood, visit RedCrossBlood.org, use the free Blood Donor App or call 1-800-REDCROSS.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Recognizing blood donors on World Blood Donor Day

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Increased need for donors during summer months

By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

Why in the world would anybody willingly roll up a sleeve and take a needle jab, to give up a bag of precious blood?

“My mother, she gave I don’t know how many gallons,” one donor recently told me. This middle-aged daughter was honoring her late mother’s example of generosity.

Eilene E. Guy, Red Cross volunteer and blood donor

“Back in 1970, a friend of mine was going to have surgery, so I went to Cleveland to donate for him,” another donor recalled. With his donation the day we talked, that man was approaching his 35-gallon mark!

On this, World Blood Donor Day, the American Red Cross salutes the estimated 6.8 million people in the U.S. who donate blood. That yields about 13.6 million units (a “unit” of blood is about one pint) of whole blood and red blood cells a year.

That’s a whole lot of blood!

But consider: Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets. That amounts to some 29,000 units of red blood cells every day.

And this isn’t an option. Blood is saving the lives of critically injured emergency room patients, mothers and newborns experiencing complications of childbirth and folks having surgery. It’s sustaining hundreds of thousands of people undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer and tens of thousands who rely on blood transfusions to cope with the effects of sickle cell disease.

We’re fortunate to live in an age of modern medicine, but one challenge remains: There’s no way to “manufacture” blood.

So until that magic day, it’s a measure of our humanity that so many donors step forward to save the lives of others – in most cases, people they’ll never know.

The fact is, only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood every year. That often leaves the supply agonizingly short. Over the last month, for example, the Red Cross collected about 20,000 fewer units of blood than needed to maintain a safe and stable national blood supply.

That’s worrisome, because blood donations typically drop during the summer months. At the same time, the need doesn’t stop.

Which brings us back to the source, blood donors.

I know from personal experience that it takes about an hour to go through the whole process: Screening to be sure I’m healthy and don’t have any disqualifications (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration decides what that would be, such as exposure to communicable diseases like malaria, or recent tattoos or piercings.); donating; and recovery (Water, juice and snacks are encouraged to jump-start the body’s replacement of the blood removed.)

You don’t need to know your blood type to make a blood donation. And if you think you’ve been disqualified, give it another try: You, or the rules, may have changed.

You can schedule your blood donation by using the free Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). 

On this World Blood Donor Day and every day, “bravo” to those who make the choice to save or sustain a life.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer