American Red Cross provides options for holiday giving

News release from the American Red Cross:

Season of giving lasts for a lifetime
American Red Cross provides options for holiday giving

Food. Shelter. Comfort. Hope.

In a season filled with giving, there’s a multitude of ways you can give back to your community through your American Red Cross.

“The gift you give today will be there for the patient needing blood, the family needing shelter, or the child who needs a hug and a blanket,” said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. “Your gifts of time, blood or money can help save the day down the street, across the country and around the world.”

As a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, the Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster and to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. As part of that mission, the Red Cross also provides about half of the nation’s blood supply through voluntary blood donations.

Volunteers are always needed, Red Cross officials say, to work in areas related to disaster relief, health and safety, and providing emergency communications to military members and their families. Volunteers are also needed to coordinate and sponsor blood drives or simply roll up their sleeves and give blood or platelets. People can help, too, by sharing motivational stories about their experiences with the Red Cross—either through the organization’s web site, or by joining the conversation on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

“You’re needed in whatever ways you chose to give,” said Whitman. “Not a day goes by that we don’t hear from the people, families, and communities who benefit from your kindness.”

To learn more about blood and platelet donation, find a blood drive near you or schedule a donation appointment, please visit redcrossblood.org. For information on other ways you can give back to your community this holiday season and beyond, visit redcross.org/gifts or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

Come to donate Dec. 1 – 31 and be entered into a region-wide weekly drawing for a $250 gasoline gift card.

 

UPCOMING AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES IN YOUR AREA:

[list type=”red”]
[li]Sunday, Dec. 16, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in the Recreation Hall, located at 11337 Old U.S. 27 South in Fort Wayne. Please call 615-6168 or email era1144@aol.com to schedule your blood donation appointment.[/li]
[li]Tuesday, Dec. 18, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the New Haven Fire Department in the Police Training Room, located at 815 Lincoln Highway E. in New Haven. Please call 748-7083 to schedule your blood donation appointment.[/li]
[li]Thursday, Dec. 20, from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. at Dupont Hospital, located at 2520 E. Dupont Road in Fort Wayne. Please call 416-3023 to schedule your blood donation appointment.[/li]
[li]Wednesday, Dec. 26, from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the Community Room, located at 10700 Aboite Center Road in Fort Wayne. Please call 446-5311 to schedule your blood donation appointment.[/li]
[li]Friday, Dec. 28, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in the Meeting Room, located at 4700 Vance Ave. in Fort Wayne. Please call the church office at 483-8816 to schedule your blood donation appointment.[/li]
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Fort Wayne Donor Center located at 1212 E. California Road in Fort Wayne, (across from the Memorial Coliseum)

Traditional whole blood or double red cell donation:

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[li]Monday and Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.[/li]
[li]Wednesday and Thursday: noon – 6 p.m.[/li]
[li]Friday and Saturday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.[/li]
[/list]

Platelet pheresis donation (call 1-800-589-8127 or 260-480-8299 to schedule a platelet donation):

[list type=”red”]
[li]Monday: 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.[/li]
[li]Tuesday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.[/li]
[li]Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.[/li]
[li]Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.[/li]
[li]Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.[/li]
[li]Saturday: 6:30 a.m. – noon[/li]
[li]Sunday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.[/li]
[/list]

Lutheran Hospital Donor Center located at 7900 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 107 in Fort Wayne (in the South Lobby of Lutheran Hospital)

Traditional whole blood or platelet pheresis donation (no platelet pheresis on Wednesdays): **

[list type=”red”]
[li]Monday through Wednesday: noon – 6 p.m.[/li]
[li]Thursday through Saturday: 6 a.m. – noon *[/li]
[li]* 2nd Thursday of the month: noon – 6 p.m.[/li]
[/list]

 

How to Donate Blood
To schedule an appointment to donate please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in Indiana and Ohio), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate. Platelet donors should also be aspirin-free for 48 hours.

About the American Red Cross
The Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region serves northern and central Indiana and northwestern Ohio, and needs to collect about 500 units of blood a day to meet patient need in more than 60 hospitals. In addition to providing blood to our community, the American Red Cross also provides relief to victims of disaster, trains millions in lifesaving skills, serves as a communication link between U.S. military members and their families, and assists victims of international disasters or conflicts.10/11AP0753

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