Help Save Lives in Your Community
During National Blood Donor Month!

January 2015

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Community Blood Services extends a sincere thank you to its many blood, plasma and platelet donors for their ongoing lifesaving donations during 2014 and invites donors who are eligible to donate in January to help celebrate National Blood Donor Month by making their next donation.

�We want to thank our volunteer donors during National Blood Donor Month for their ongoing donations and remind them how important they are to the patients whose lives they help to save in our community hospitals,� said Karen Ferriday, community affairs director at Community Blood Services.

Noting the blood supply dips during the holiday season, Ferriday said �It�s important that we continue to rebuild our supply in case illness and inclement weather during the winter months keeps donors away or leads to the cancellation of blood drives.�

Donors can call 866-228-1500 to make an appointment to donate or to find a convenient donor collection site or mobile blood drive in New Jersey. Or they can click here to schedule an appointment online or click here for locations and hours. Whole blood donors also can walk in but appointments are needed to donate platelets.

Community Blood Services provides life-giving blood and blood products to more than 18 hospitals in New York and New Jersey, including HackensackUMC, Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, St. Joseph's Healthcare System in Wayne and Paterson, and The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, all in New Jersey, and Orange Regional Medical Center in New York.

Ferriday said all blood types are needed to meet the needs of patients in those hospitals, especially O negative. O negative, the universal blood type, can be transfused to all patients. Platelets are also needed to treat patients diagnosed with cancer or other blood disorders and male plasma is needed for trauma victims.

Donors must be 17-75 years old (16 years old with parental consent) and weigh at least 110 pounds. All donors will receive health screenings with their donations, including non-fasting glucose and cholesterol screenings.