During this unsure time, many are looking for a way to help their community and luckily, YOU can help through donating at Bloodworks Northwest.

As with most disasters, this viral outbreak has caused a domino effect and we’re now faced with another major health concern – a dangerously low blood supply.

    • Individuals are eligible to donate blood once every 56 days.
    • Each blood donation has the potential to save 3 lives.
    • It is a precious resources, but has a limited shelf life – only 5 days for platelets and 42 days for red blood cells.
    • It takes 800 donors a day to maintain the blood supply for the 90 hospitals Bloodworks supports in the Northwest.

Approximately 60% of the community’s blood supply is collected at mobile drives located at schools, businesses and events. The stay at home order has caused these organizations to temporarily close and all Bloodworks mobile drives have been canceled. However, the donation centers located across Washington and Oregon are still open and take donations!  Please note, time slots are currently booked through mid-April. It is important to keep the blood donations coming in at a consistent rate for future needs and we’re asking donors to please book their future appointments now.

Bloodworks donation centers have extended their hours and are working hard to rebuild their blood supply, but time slots are limited due to resources and keeping the number of people in shared buildings to a minimum. It is not surprising that these donation centers are not able to collect as much blood as would be with the addition of mobile drives, however insuring that donations are coming in consistently for months to come will help keep the blood supply at a safe level.

Blood donations are an essential service. Please visit BloodworksNW.org for more information and to book your appointment. Appointments can be booked months in advance.

Bloodworks is compliant with FDA, CDC and other applicable recommendations related to COVID-19. Information addressing questions and concerns for blood donors can be found at bloodworksnw.org/coronavirus.