Urgent Call for Blood Donations at Stanford Blood Center

14 July 2025

Low appointments coupled with high usage, made more challenging by the temporary closure of a busy center location, have caused supplies to fall to concerning levels. Bay Area residents are encouraged to make an appointment as soon as possible to support local patients.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 14, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jenn Bennett, (510) 684-4467
media@stanfordbloodcenter.org

STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is issuing a critical appeal to the community for blood donations. As of today, the organization faces a concerning shortage of several blood types, exacerbated by low appointments and heavy blood usage at local hospitals, including multiple transplant and trauma patients in the last week.

All blood types are needed, especially type O and type A, with just a 2- to 3-day supply of several blood types on hand.

In addition, the temporary closure of SBC’s South Bay donor center in Campbell has impacted the ability to collect blood during an already challenging month. The center is expected to reopen at some point in August, pending the finalization of urgently needed plumbing renovations.

Renee Gipson, SBC’s Donor Services Director, says, “With the temporary closure of our South Bay donor center, we’re relying on our community to help keep the blood supply strong. Summer is historically a more challenging time for collections due to travel and busy schedules, so we’re asking folks to continue supporting local patients by donating at one of our other convenient locations.”

As a special thank-you for prioritizing blood donation in July, Stanford Blood Center is offering one of its most popular incentives: a custom Grateful for Life tie-dye t-shirt.

GLT-Image-for-online-article-dates-and-logos-1200x628.png

Appointments can be scheduled online at stanfordbloodcenter.org, via the SBC mobile app, by calling 888-723-7831 or texting 999-777. Walk-ins are welcome for whole blood donations. Donors can find a convenient time and location by visiting stanfordbloodcenter.org/find-a-drive or searching by zip code on the app.

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 is grateful for the support of our community and the commitment of our donors. By coming together during this critical time, we can ensure that patients in need continue to receive life-saving blood.

Think you're not eligible to give blood? The rules have recently changed, per the FDA. Check out the latest on blood donor eligibility here.

###

Media Release Images

Additional Image Resources

Video Resources

About Stanford Blood Center
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.