New York Blood Center has refreshed its donor center in Kingston, NY, creating a brighter and more welcoming space for donors. The refreshed modern center contains new exterior design elements and numerous visual enhancements and is the only NYBC donor center in Ulster County, NY.
The updated donor center celebrated its grand reopening on Thursday, January 15, 2026, with County Executive Jennifer Metzger, New York State Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha, and Ulster County Public Health Director Dr. Eve Walter in attendance.
January is National Blood Donor Month, and NYBC recently declared a Blood Emergency. The tri-state is experiencing a concerning post-holiday decline in blood donations, leaving the area with less than a 2-day supply.
Ulster County residents contributed more than 5,000 lifesaving blood donations in 2025, which potentially reached more than 15,000 patients in need. Two-thirds of these donations were made at the Kingston Donor Center, with more than 2,500 donors walking through its doors. 128 of them donated here in Kingston for the first time – reflecting a nearly 40% increase in first-time donors over the prior year.
While nearly 60% of Americans are eligible to donate blood, only about 3% do, so NYBC continues to raise awareness and provide convenient opportunities for local residents to save lives through blood donation. NYBC is committed to providing comfortable, community-focused donation spaces for the residents of Kingston, Ulster County and surrounding communities. Walk-ins are welcome, or to schedule an appointment visit https://donate.nybc.org/donor/schedules/center/50 or call 800.933.2566.
In recent weeks, blood donations have dropped nearly 40% below what is needed to meet hospital demand, resulting in less than a two-day supply of blood for more than 200 hospitals across the tri-state area. The emergency declaration follows an exceptionally challenging end to the year, caused by a combination of events that sharply reduced blood donations:
- Severe winter weather across New York, including a recent storm that dropped more than a foot of snow in some areas and resulted in New York City’s largest snowfall in four years, led to disrupted travel and forced blood drive cancellations
- Record seasonal illness, with New York State’s Department of Health reporting more than 71,000 positive flu cases in a single week, the highest single-week total since tracking began in 2004
- Major holiday disruptions, with Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on Thursdays, typically one of the highest collection days each week, resulting in a near-total loss of midweek donations for two consecutive weeks and approximately 10,000 fewer donations than needed to meet hospital demand
“We are entering the new year with a critically low blood supply, and recent winter weather has made an already challenging season even more difficult,” said Jeannie Mascolino, Vice President, Blood Operations at New York Blood Center. “Blood is needed every single day for trauma care, surgeries, cancer treatment, and chronic conditions, and there is no substitute when donations fall short.”
