Nearly 140 additional blood drives needed as holiday travel, school closures, and seasonal illnesses threaten the region’s blood supply
New York Blood Center (NYBC) is calling on local businesses, schools, places of worship, community groups and other organizations to host blood drives during the upcoming holiday season, particularly between December 21 and January 10. NYBC needs approximately 5,500 additional blood donations, equivalent to nearly 140 blood drives, to help meet hospital demand during the critical winter months.
Each month, more than 500 blood drives are made possible by organizations that open their doors and provide space for their employees, members, neighbors, and communities to donate. These partnerships are essential to maintaining the blood supply for area hospitals. But during the holidays, when schools close, businesses reduce operations, families travel, and seasonal illnesses increase, opportunities to donate blood decline dramatically.
This year, NYBC is asking the community to help in a different way: not simply by donating blood, but by providing a place for others to donate.
The need is particularly urgent between December 21 and January 10, when the number of scheduled blood drives falls sharply. Last winter, NYBC collected 5,300 fewer donations than needed during the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s, a shortfall of nearly 36%. During Christmas week alone, collections fell nearly 46% below hospital demand.
“While the holidays are a time of celebration for many New Yorkers, they can also be one of the most challenging times of year for our blood supply,” said Jeannie Mascolino, Vice President of Operations at New York Blood Center. “We saw firsthand last winter how quickly donations can decline during the holidays. We’re asking organizations to help us get ahead of that challenge by scheduling blood drives now, especially surrounding Christmas and New Year’s. Every blood drive helps ensure patients have access to the lifesaving blood products they need.”
Hosting a blood drive is easy, and NYBC provides support every step of the way. Organizations interested in hosting a blood drive can complete a brief interest form at nybc.org/host-a-blood-drive/ and will be connected with an NYBC account manager to help coordinate and plan their drive.