The need is constant.
The gratification is instant.
Give blood.TM
Give someone hope this holiday season
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Hope. It's a simple word, but it means so much to someone in need.
As a Red Cross supporter, you help bring hope to others. Your volunteer efforts are powerful gifts – the most special gifts you could give someone this holiday season.
Volunteer donors help patients like five-year-old Danielle who needs blood and platelet transfusions as part of her leukemia treatment. View her story here.
As you reflect on the blessings in your life this Thanksgiving, consider giving back through the Red Cross. Whether you choose to volunteer, give blood, or give a Gift that Saves the Day, Red Cross work is made possible by generous people like you who lend a helping hand.
Flu season and blood donation
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Flu season is here. Did you know that if you get the seasonal flu or H1N1 (swine) flu vaccines, you may still be eligible to donate blood if you feel healthy and don't have any flu symptoms?
As the number of flu cases grows this winter, there may be a significant decrease in the number of healthy blood donors. Make an appointment to donate blood and platelets today to help ensure a stable supply throughout the flu season.
Visit this link to find out more about flu prevention along with some helpful resources. To check your eligibility to donate blood or platelets, call
The need is growing
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The need for blood is growing. In fact, the number of hospital stays for patients who received blood transfusions in the United States more than doubled from 1997 to 2007 according to a study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
While the need for blood is ongoing, the supply isn't, especially around the holidays due to travel plans and inclement weather in some parts of the country. Patients are thankful for blood donors like you. Make an appointment to help meet the growing need.
New website is coming
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The Red Cross is launching a new website later this year to better serve you. The new site will be a one-stop shop for everything related to Red Cross blood donation.
Online scheduling and maps to blood drives will be available. There will also be opportunities to upload videos and photos of your donation experiences, back issues of the eNewsletter and much more! Watch for more in the coming months!
Featured Links
Give Blood
Volunteer
Share Your Story
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Newsroom
Red Cross Blog
November is National Youth Involvement Month (NYIM)
During November the Red Cross recognizes and thanks young supporters for sharing their ideas, energy and time to help others. Visit this link to find out more.
Youth blood donors are the life force of the Red Cross and a lifeline to patients in need. Visit this link to read about two friends who doubled their lifesaving gift by donating blood together. And check out this Red Cross PSA from the stars of the Vampire Diaries.
Healthy living
You and your family can take steps to stay healthy and safe during the holidays. Visit this link for tips.
Take Your Pulse
Visit this link and let us know what Red Cross services story has given you the most hope.
Check Your Pulse
View September eNewsletter survey results asking if you still plan to donate blood as an easy and inexpensive way to give back during the economic downturn.
Sounding Off
We wish we could list all the great feedback we get from donors, but there's only so much room. Here's one response from Harold E. Vaughn, of Elmwood, Ill.
"I started giving blood while in college when some of my friends were going to Vietnam and I was safe at home. Several years later, my daughter had her right foot amputated and required 13 units of blood. This made me even more aware of the need and importance of blood donors. I gave my 95th pint of blood today!"
Thank you for spreading the word!
Thanks to all of the Red Cross donors who forwarded the September eNewsletter to at least five friends and helped spread the word about the importance of blood donation!
Janet Chalupa of Omaha, Neb. is the September raffle winner of a vintage-style Red Cross messenger bag.
You could be a winner this month. Everyone who forwards this eNewsletter to at least five people using the Send to a Friend feature will automatically be entered into a raffle to win a pair of Red Cross fingerless gloves with mitten flaps.
©2009 The American National Red Cross, 2025 E Street NW, Washington DC, 20006.