2 Blood Drives Near Morristown Amid 'Urgent' Need For Donations

Morristown NJ

15 January, 2021

10:13 AM

Description

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey Blood Services has experienced low blood supplies because of the coronavirus. But there are ways to help in Morris County. New Jersey Blood Services — a division of the New York Blood Center — will hold two local blood drives in the near future: Feb. 6: St. Jude's Church, Budd Lake, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.Feb. 13: Morris Plains Community Center, 51 Jim Fear Dr., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Blood products only have a shelf life of five to 42 days, so constant replenishment is necessary. Patients depend on the transfusion of red blood cells, platelets and plasma to stay alive. But the pandemic continues to push blood supplies to the brink, according to U.S. News & World Report. COVID-19 has made blood donation sites less common. According to the New York Blood Center, the gap between blood needed and blood donated now averages about 8,000 donations per month. Schools, colleges, workplaces and houses of worship hosted 75 percent of blood drives before the pandemic. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit nybloodcenter.org. Thanks for reading. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to [email protected]. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store. You can also follow the Morristown Patch Facebook page.