In November, nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant is urging all eligible donors to schedule a blood donation to help ensure all patients have blood available to them in their time of need.
Fewer people donate during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday weeks than any other time of year, but every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
And sometimes, it requires many donors to help just one patient. Recently, a 35-year-old man needed 14 lifesaving blood units at a Vitalant-supported hospital as part of his treatment for sepsis: two red cell, five platelet, and seven plasma.
Blood donors with all blood types, especially type O, and platelet donors are critically needed. Type O is the most in-demand blood type and type O-negative is what emergency room physicians reach for because it can be transfused when there’s not time to determine a patient’s blood type. Platelets must be used within a week of transfusion and are critical to stop bleeding.
All donors who give blood Nov. 22-28 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card redeemable by email as a token of thanks for helping others during a busy time of year. Learn more at vitalant.org/ThanksgivingGift.
To check eligibility and make an appointment, visit vitalant.org, download and use the Vitalant app or call 877-258-4825. There is no waiting period to donate after receiving an FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccine or seasonal flu shot.
Upcoming Blood Drives in Santa Barbara County
Wednesday, Nov. 2, Santa Barbara, Laguna Blanca School, 4125 Paloma Drive, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4, Goleta, CSUCI, 5383 Hollister Drive, noon-5 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 10, Carpinteria, Carpinteria High School, 4810 Foothill Road, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, Goleta, Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 16, Isla Vista, St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 6550 Picasso Road, noon-5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20, Lompoc, Valley of Flowers ½ Century Club, 341 N. N Street, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 22, Goleta, Camino Real Marketplace, 7046 Marketplace Drive, 1:30-6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 23, Santa Maria, Fidelity National Title, 2222 S. Broadway, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 29, Solvang, Veteran’s Memorial Building, 1745 Mission Drive, 2-6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 30, Lompoc, 100 E. Locust Ave., 1-5 p.m.
Donors are urged to find a community blood drive near them or give at any one of four donation centers on the Central Coast, including one in Santa Barbara at 4213 State Street and in Santa Maria at 1770 S. Broadway.