On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, Emmanuel United Methodist Church will partner with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive at the church. Scheduled donations will be accepted from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Information on how to schedule your donation is below. A second blood drive at the church is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, 2021.
For over 135 years the Red Cross has provided humanitarian aid, including more than 75 years of supplying blood to those in need. Each pint of blood collected can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of many more. It is a great way to make a positive impact in our community and across the country.
All blood types are needed, but donors with O negative, A negative or B negative blood are in most need. Type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency personnel reach for in trauma situations when there is not time to determine a patient’s blood type. Type O positive is the most transfused blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Types A negative and B negative can be transfused to Rh-positive or negative patients.
Donors will be accepted by appointment only. Scheduling allows us to maintain social distancing for the safety of all. There are two ways to schedule an appointment:
Safety is, of course, of paramount importance during these blood drives. At each blood drive, Red Cross staff already adhere to high standards of safety and infection control. In addition to standard procedures, the Red Cross has implemented additional COVID-19 precautions. These include the following:
Checking temperatures of staff and donors before entering the drive to make sure they are healthy.
Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.
Following social distancing between donors including entry, donation and refreshment areas.
Ensuring face masks or coverings are worn by both staff and donors at all times in alignment with CDC guidelines. (If a donor does not have a mask, the Red Cross will provide one. If a donor does not want to wear a mask, we ask they postpone their donation for a later date.)
Staff wearing gloves and changing gloves often.
Routinely disinfecting surfaces, equipment and donor-touched areas.
Using sterile collection sets and an aseptic scrub for every donation.
Prohibiting guests from the blood drive.
At this drive the Red Cross will test all blood product donations for COVID-19 antibodies. If a donation tests positive, the plasma from that blood donation may be processed into a convalescent plasma product for patients in need. Donors will be able to get their results of the antibody test by logging in to their Blood Donor account on the Blood Donor App or online within one to two weeks after their donation. The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness, referred to as a diagnostic test, and a positive antibody test results do not confirm infection or immunity; a positive antibody test merely indicates potential prior exposure to the virus.
We encourage eligible donors with types O, B negative or A negative blood to make a Power Red Cell Donation at this blood drive. Power Red donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells, allowing them to maximize their impact. During this type of donation, red blood cells are separated from other blood components, and the plasma and platelets are safely and comfortably returned to the donor.
Donors can save time with RapidPass®. Complete your pre-donation reading and health history at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or with the Blood Donor App before your appointment.
