UNDATED – With no substitute for blood and no way to manufacture it, volunteer donors are essential for hospital patients in need of transfusions. During National Volunteer Month this April, the American Red Cross is celebrating the blood, platelet, and plasma donors who help fulfill its lifesaving mission and urging healthy individuals to join them in giving.
Nearly 2.6 million Red Cross volunteer donors step up every year to ensure blood is on the shelves when patients need it. The generosity of these heroes has been especially impactful over the past year as they helped the Red Cross continue to meet patient needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Red Cross continues to urge healthy individuals, especially those with type O blood, to give blood to ensure hospitals can meet patient needs. Schedule a donation appointment by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
As a special thank-you, those who come to give by April 30 will automatically be entered for a chance to win one of five $1,000 e-gift cards to a merchant of choice. Additional details are available at rcblood.org/Gift.
Health insights for donors
The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether they developed symptoms. Testing may also identify the presence of antibodies developed after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Plasma from routine blood and platelet donations that test positive for high levels of antibodies may be used as convalescent plasma to meet potential future needs of COVID-19 patients. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood product collected from COVID-19 survivors who have antibodies that may help patients who are actively fighting the virus.
The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness, referred to as a diagnostic test. To protect the health and safety of Red Cross staff and donors, it is important that individuals who do not feel well or believe they may be ill with COVID-19 postpone donation.
At a time when health information has never been more important, the Red Cross is also screening all blood, platelet and plasma donations from self-identified African American donors for the sickle cell trait. This additional screening will provide Black donors with an additional health insight and help the Red Cross identify compatible blood types more quickly to help patients with sickle cell disease. Blood transfusion is an essential treatment for those with sickle cell disease, and blood donations from individuals of the same race, ethnicity and blood type have a unique ability to help patients fighting sickle cell disease.
Donors can expect to receive antibody test and sickle cell trait screening results, if applicable, within one to two weeks through the Red Cross Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.
Blood drive safety
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including temperature checks, social distancing and face masks for donors and staff – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities April 16-30
Lawrence County
Bedford
- 4/19/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Hillcrest Christian Church, 1130 Hillcrest Road
Martin County
Loogootee
- 4/8/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Loogootee United Methodist Church, 208 W. Main Street Shoals
- 4/7/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Shoals Christian Church, 602 N. Main Street
Monroe County
Bloomington
- 4/5/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. 7th Street, Alumni Hall
- 4/6/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., IU Health – Revenue Cycle Services, 1155 W 3rd St
- 4/9/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., IU Health – Southern Indiana Physicians ECED Bulding, 2605 E Creek’s Edge Dr
- 4/14/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bloomington Community RSMO, 401 North Morton Street
- 4/16/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., IU Health – Southern Indiana Physicians, 2499 W. Cota Dr
- 4/21/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bloomington Community RSMO, 401 North Morton Street
- 4/28/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bloomington Community RSMO, 401 North Morton Street
- 4/29/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monroe Convention Center, 302 S College Ave
- 4/30/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Monroe Convention Center, 302 S College Ave
- 5/1/2021: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., City Church for All Nations, 1200 N Russell Rd
- 5/3/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., St. Charles Borromeo Church, 2222 E 3rd St
Greene County
Bloomfield
- 5/4/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Cincinnati Christian Church, 11432 SR 54 East
Brown County
Nashville
- 4/12/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Brown County YMCA, 105 Willow Street
- 4/28/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Parkview Church of the Nazarene, 1750 East State Road 46
Bartholomew County
Columbus
- 4/6/2021: 3 p.m. – 8 p.m., Asbury United Methodist Church, 1751 27th St
- 4/21/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church Columbus, 618 8th Street
- 5/4/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., First Christian Church/Youth Center, 531 5th St
Jennings County
North Vernon
- 4/13/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, 515 Buckeye Street
- 4/15/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Tea Creek Baptist Church, 5280 S. Co Rd 300 W.
- 4/27/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Sand Creek Elementary School, 1450 W CR 500 North
Delaware County
Muncie
- 4/12/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Delaware County Fairgrounds, 1210 N. Wheeling Ave.
- 4/22/2021: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Delaware County Fairgrounds, 1210 N. Wheeling Ave.
- 5/4/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Delaware County Fairgrounds, 1210 N. Wheeling Ave.
Hamilton County
Carmel
- 4/14/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Clay Terrace, 2107 East Greyhound Pass
Fishers
- 5/6/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Harley-Davidson of Indianapolis, 12400 Reynolds Drive
Hancock County
Greenfield
- 4/19/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Hancock County Fairgrounds, 620 Apple St.
- 5/2/2021: 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., St. James Lutheran Church, 1741 S. State St.
- 5/7/2021: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Brandywine Church, 1551 E New Rd
Hendricks County
Brownsburg
- 5/5/2021: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Connection Pointe Christian Church, 1800 North Green Street
Madison County
Anderson
- 4/23/2021: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Madison Park Church of God, 6607 Providence Drive
- 4/27/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Flagship Enterprise Center, 2705 Enterprise Drive
Chesterfield
- 4/5/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Chesterfield Community Church of God, 123 Linden Lane
Pendleton
- 4/30/2021: 3 p.m. – 8 p.m., Solid Rock Baptist Church, 6509 South State Rd 67
Marion County
Indianapolis
- 4/7/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
- 4/13/2021: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, 6102 Boy Scout Road
- 4/14/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
- 4/15/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., North Willow Farms, 1635 Brewster Road
- 4/16/2021: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., IMPD East District HQ, 201 North Shadeland Ave.
- 4/17/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., IMPD East District HQ, 201 North Shadeland Ave.
- 4/20/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Duke Realty, 8711 River Crossing Blvd.
- 4/20/2021: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Delta Air Lines, 7800 Col. H. Weir Cook Memorial Drive
- 4/21/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
- 4/21/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., American Legion Post 500, 1926 Georgetown Road
- 4/22/2021: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., IUPUI – Taylor Hall, 815 West Michigan
- 4/28/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
- 5/5/2021: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
Speedway
- 4/11/2021: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., IMS Season Kick Off Blood Drive at Speedway Indoor Karting, 1067 N Main Street
Wayne County
Richmond
- 4/25/2021: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., First English Lutheran Church, 2727 E Main St.
- 4/28/2021: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, 1425 E. Main Street
Johnson County
Greenwood
- 4/13/2021: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bluff Creek Christian Church, 6286 West State Rd 144
- 4/20/2021: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Johnson County Library White River Branch, 1664 Library Blvd.
- 4/22/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Church of Greenwood, 1477 W Main Street
- 4/23/2021: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Carefree Club, 1202 Leisure Lane
Vigo County
West Terre Haute
- 4/7/2021: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., St. Mary of the Woods – Student Nursing Association, 3301 St. Mary’s Rd
About blood donation
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit  RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
