Urgent Need for Blood Donations at Stanford Blood Center

STANFORD, Calif. — August is often a challenging time for blood collection with many regular donors traveling and families focused on back-to-school preparations. Unfortunately, this August is no exception to the rule. Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is currently facing an urgent need for all blood types, especially type O blood, and is asking Bay Area residents to come out and donate as soon as possible to help meet the needs of local patients.

“The need for blood products is so high right now that, even with our incredibly dedicated donors, we’re having difficulty keeping up with demand,” says Karen Hendryk, Donor Recruitment Manager. “Lots of families are going back to school this week, so we’re seeing the impact to our appointment schedule as a result. Plus, there is a national shortage right now that’s complicating things further because local hospitals we don’t normally supply are reaching out asking for support as well. At times like these, we need the broader community to come out to donate to ensure we have a ready supply of blood products for anyone who needs it.”

If you’re thinking about donating for the first time, now is a great opportunity to help save lives. There are several exciting promotions available for donors, including official MLB San Francisco Giants + SBC t-shirts, VIP tickets and other perks for the San Jose Earthquakes, Target e-gift cards and more! Details are available at stanfordbloodcenter.org/promotions.

Donors are encouraged to make an appointment at one of three donation center locations in Campbell, Menlo Park, or Mountain View. SBC donation centers are open seven days a week.

There are also quite a few upcoming mobile blood drives open to the public, including in Pleasanton, San Jose (Almaden), Oakland, Gilroy, Cupertino, San Ramon, Castro Valley, Milpitas and other locations throughout the Bay Area.

Appointments can be scheduled online at stanfordbloodcenter.org, via the SBC mobile app, by calling 888-723-7831 or texting to 999-777.

Donors should be in good health with no cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms. Be sure to eat well prior to donation, drink fluids, and bring a photo ID to your donation. Eligibility information can be found at stanfordbloodcenter.org/eligibility or by calling 888-723-7831.

########

Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is an independent, community blood center that supplies blood products and testing services to multiple Bay Area hospitals and is a recognized leader in the fields of transfusion and transplantation medicine. SBC was created at the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978 to meet the complex transfusion and transplant needs of Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, as well as provide clinical trial services and specialized blood products for researchers. Today, the center remains locally focused, serving community hospitals, patients and donors, while contributing to research and advancement that impact the world at large. More information is available at stanfordbloodcenter.org.