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Community Corner

Volunteering with Blood at the New Rochelle Public Library


American Red Cross organized a blood drive April 11 in New Rochelle Public Library’s theater/ meeting room.

Since September of last year, the American Red Cross has hosted several blood drives at the New Rochelle Public Library, said Ashley Lawrence, a team supervisor at the Red Cross.

“This is the third time we are doing it at the library,” she said. “January 7th was our last blood drive here.”

Robert Mohan, a long time New Rochelle resident, came to the library to donate his blood. A donor for almost a decade, he has tried to get to these drives whenever possible.

“I would not do it if I could not help someone,” he said. “People need blood and plasma.”

Mohan encourages his friends to get involved in donating blood.  He provided a message for those who have never done it.

“The shelf life is not forever,” he said. “Blood is used for a lot of different things.”

According to the American Red Cross website, five million people need blood every year. For every donation, one pint of blood is used to save 3 people’s lives, according to the website.

“The number of blood donors in the United States in a year is 9.2 million,” said Jecoliah Ellis, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross. 

Ellis explained why is it important to have people sign up for a blood drive even if they have never experienced one before.

“Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood,” she said. “If it was your loved one, you would want the blood to be available.”

For the American Red Cross blood drives, there are four steps to guide donors through the process of donating.

Registration/ positive identification is the first step, Ellis said. A mini-physical, the actual donation process, and celebration of donation with access to refreshments and snacks are the final steps, she said.

For more information on American Red Cross blood drives, visit the website at www.redcross.org

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