Volunteer Blood Donors Needed to Meet
Hospital Demand As Holiday Season Begins!

November 2015

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Volunteer blood, platelet and plasma donors are being asked to take time out of their busy holiday schedules to donate at a Community Blood Services� donor center in New Jersey to help ensure there is an adequate supply on the shelves for the patients who need it during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Donors who kick off the season by giving the gift of life on Wednesday, November 25 at our Paramus or Lincoln Park donor rooms will receive a Darden gift card which can be used at Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse or Bahama Breeze.

The Paramus Donor Center, One West Ridgewood Avenue, Suite 208, is open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 25, while the Lincoln Park Donor Room, 63 Beaverbrook Road, Suite 304 is open noon to 7:30 p.m. Donors are asked to call 201-251-3703 to schedule their donations or they can schedule online. Community Blood Services will be closed Thanksgiving Day but will reopen for regular hours on Friday, November 26.

"Thanksgiving traditionally marks the beginning of the holiday season, resulting in a decrease in collections due to holiday vacations and fewer blood drives," said Karen Ferriday, community affairs director. "We hope donors will find time to schedule an appointment to donate throughout the days leading up to New Year�s Day so we build up the supply of life-giving blood and blood products and are able to meet the needs of the more than 20 hospitals we serve in their communities.�

O negative, platelet and AB male plasma donors, as well as rare BloodLinks donors, are especially needed, Ferriday said, noting these types and products are always needed as the holidays get closer. She encouraged donors to consider making an automated donation if they are eligible, which allows the center to collect multiple lifesaving products during one sitting. An automated donation can help the center better target its hospitals� needs and ease the ongoing blood shortage.

In addition to the Paramus and Lincoln Park centers, Ferriday said donor centers in Montvale and Parsippany will be open throughout the holiday season. Donors can call or visit the website for locations and hours of additional donation sites. She said whole blood donors must be in general good health, 17-75 years old (16 and 17 years old with parental consent) and weigh at least 110 pounds.

Community Blood Services is a not-for-profit organization that provides blood and blood products for patients in more than 20 hospitals in New Jersey and New York, including HackensackUMC, St. Joseph�s Healthcare System in Paterson/Wayne and The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.