Area Blood Supply Faces Summer Challenges

New Jersey Blood Services (NJBS), a division of the New York Blood Center (NYBC) is facing big challenges this season to maintain an adequate and safe blood supply for hospital patients, including:

The Economy

The recession has meant the closing of workplaces, and that has resulted in the loss or reduction of some corporate, non-profit, and government blood drives.  Group-sponsored blood drives account for 80% of NYBC’s collections.

Here Comes Vacation Season!

Schools close for the summer, and workers go on vacation.  There are fewer people available to donate blood.

Our Call to Action:  Organize a Blood Drive!

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive.

NJBS also offers special community service scholarships for students who organize community blood drives during the summer. Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and hemoglobin level. Eligible donors include those people 17 years of age, or 16 with parental permission, who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People over

The following drives are scheduled in the near future and open to the public:

8/17/11    Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael                 60 Temple Drive, Springfield                  2:00 pm to 8:00 pm

8/17/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              11:00 am to 5:30 pm

8/17/11    Cranford Community Center           220 Walnut Ave, Cranford                     1:00 pm to 7:00 pm

8/19/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              2:00 pm to 8:30 pm

8/19/11    Wallace Chapel AME Zion               138 Broad St., Summit                            3:00 pm to 7:30 pm

              Church

8/20/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              7:30 am to 2:00 pm

8/20/11    New Providence Fire House               175 Floral Avenue, New Providence     9:00 am to 3:00 pm

8/22/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              2:00 pm to 8:30 pm

8/23/11    IHOP Union                                          2500 US 22, Union                                   1:00 pm to 7:00 pm

8/24/11    Runnells Specialized Hospital           40 Watchung Way, Berkeley Heights   10:00 am to 4:00 pm

8/24/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              11:00 am to 5:30 pm

8/24/11    Roselle Park High School                   185 West Webster Ave, Roselle Park    12:30 pm to 6:30 pm

8/25/11    Clark Volunteer Emergency              875 Raritan Road, Clark                         1:30 pm to 7:30 pm

              Squad

8/25/11    Dunkin Donuts                                     333 East North Avenue, Cranford        10:00 am to 4:00 pm

8/26/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              2:00 pm to 8:30 pm

8/27/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              7:30 am to 2:00 pm

8/27/11    Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall                651 Kapkowski Road, Elizabeth           12:30 pm to 6:30 pm

8/28/11    Congregation Israel                             339 Mountain Ave., Springfield             8:00 am to 2:00 pm

8/28/11    Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall                651 Kapkowski Road, Elizabeth           11:30 am to 5:30 pm

8/29/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              2:00 pm to 8:30 pm

8/30/11    Linden Public Library                         31 East Henry St, Linden                        12:30 pm to 6:30 pm

8/31/11    Scotch Plains Donor Center               2279 South Ave, Scotch Plains              11:00 am to 5:30 pm

To schedule your very own blood drive please contact:

New Jersey                               Marie Forrestal              732-220-7184 Mforrestal@nybloodcenter.org

If you cannot donate but still wish to participate in bringing lifesaving products to those in need, please consider volunteering at a local blood drive.

For more information, please contact Jan Zepka, Manager, Community Relations & Volunteer Services at 732-616-8741 or email rzepka@nybloodcenter.org.

About New York Blood Center:

New York Blood Center (NYBC) is one of the nation's largest non-profit, community-based blood centers. NYBC has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to patients in greater New York since 1964.  NYBC is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program at the Howard P. Milstein National Cord Blood Center, the world's largest public cord blood bank.  NYBC provides medical services and programs (Clinical, Transfusion, and Hemophilia Services) through our medical professionals and transfusion medicine physicians.