PITTSBORO — Chatham County employees and residents rolled up their sleeves to give the gift of life April 12 at the County’s Agriculture Building in Pittsboro.
Thirty-one lifesaving blood donations were collected to help hospital patients in need. The Chatham County Employee Blood Drive is held every April with the American Red Cross.
April is National Volunteer Month, and the American Red Cross is celebrating the millions of people who volunteer to give blood, platelets, and plasma throughout the year. Donors of all blood types are needed now to keep the blood supply strong enough to support critical patient care this spring.
The Red Cross depends on volunteer donors to collect about 12,000 blood donations and nearly 3,000 platelet donations every day. Volunteer donors like Chatham County employee Kaitlyn Warren, whose family members have received blood in the past.
“Knowing people who have required blood before amplifies the need that much more,” Warren said. “I wanted to be able to help others, and having the blood drive here at work makes it really convenient.”
Donated blood has a limited shelf life, so supplies must be continuously replenished to ensure sufficient inventory of blood products. With no substitute for blood and no way to manufacture it, volunteer donors are essential for hospital patients in need of transfusions. Patients need blood for a variety of reasons including individuals who have experienced trauma, people fighting cancers and those with chronic illnesses like sickle cell disease.
Chatham County employee Elizabeth Plata organizes the blood drive, and she has been donating blood for more than 20 years.
“Donating blood is so simple, yet it has such a great impact on saving lives,” she said. “Coordinating the blood drive makes it even more special to me, since I get to assist my co-workers and fellow community members in the process as well.”
In addition to donors, the Red Cross needs individuals to volunteer at blood drives. Blood Donor Ambassadors engage donors by greeting, registering, answering questions, providing information, and supporting them through the recovery process at the refreshments table. The special attention these volunteers provide helps create a favorable impression that encourages ongoing donor support.
Information about blood donation and volunteer opportunities can be found by downloading the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org, or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).