Blood Donors are in High Demand

It's time to give a little…give blood that is! As I was driving home from work one night on Masonic, I saw a red banner, screaming BLOOD SHORTAGE posted on the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank.I’d past it hundreds of times and like most commuters was completely oblivious to what was in that new building on the corner of Masonic and Turk.

I love giving blood and used to do it a lot during college. The best part was being cooed over by those sweet little old ladies who volunteered for the local blood drive. I’ll never forget this one seventy year old lady who told me stories from when she was a nurse in France during WWII--well worth giving up a pint of blood for that!

The Irwin Memorial Blood Bank was well lit and nicely designed, with that big parking lot in front—so driving there was not a problem. The entire process took only a half-hour from filling out the form to sitting at the café, nibbling on some Oreos and drinking apple juice after I donated a pint. And yes, there are still a few jolly little old ladies scuttling around, but alas, no war stories this time.

With the upcoming holidays and flu season starting, the number of donors drop around this time of year, which leads to a rather bad blood shortage. And if you are O negative or positive, I suggest you hot-foot it down there as soon as possible. It’s the ultimate gift that keeps giving! It’s well worth coming home from work a bit later one night this month.

And make it a habit! You can give blood every eight weeks—and get free cookies to boot! Call 415.567.6400 to make an appointment or but they take drop ins. Weekday hours are from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM and during the weekends, they are open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Leslie Dotson

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