It's often said that donating blood just one time can save three lives. What is rarely heard is how one blood drive can be just enough to save a single life.But it’s true, said Lindsay English, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross in Louisville.“In a serious car accident, you can use 30 or more units,” English said. “If you think about it, that is a successful blood drive right there—just one.”And right now, blood donations from across the U.S. are dwindling.Donations are down 8 percent in the last 11 weeks, meaning nearly 80,000 fewer donations have been collected than initially projected, English said.English said the need for blood is always present.“In the U.S., someone needs blood every two seconds,” she said.Blood has a shelf life of 42 days and residents are encouraged to donate blood every 56 days, English said.Eligible donors with types O negative, B negative and A negative blood are especially needed at this time. Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to anyone who needs blood. Types A negative and B negative can be transfused to Rh positive or negative patients, according to a Red Cross news release.If donations boost in the coming weeks, the organization will nearly miss slipping into an emergency situation, English said.She said the last time the American Red Cross issued an emergency for a blood shortage was during the winter months when temperatures rarely climbed above the freezing mark, keeping many potential donors indoors.The summer months are also a difficult time for collecting blood donations, as many people stay out of the heat and many families are on vacation, she said.Also, nearly 20 percent of donations come from students in high school and college, English said. When those students are not in class, they don’t donate blood, shrinking the supply.Multiple blood drives are scheduled in Louisville and throughout southern Indiana through the beginning of August.Here is a list from the Red Cross:Clarksville
- 7/27/2014: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Harvest Valley Community Church, 1810 Blackiston Mill Road
- 8/7/2014: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM: Badger & Spiller Orthodontics, 757 E Lewis and Clark Parkway
Jeffersonville
- 7/28/2014: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Clark County Blood Donation Center, 1805 E. 8th St.
- 7/29/2014: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Harland Clarke, 240 America Place
- 8/4/2014: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Clark County Blood Donation Center, 1805 E. 8th St.
- 8/5/2014: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM: RE/MAX FIRST, 2123 Veterans Parkway
Floyds Knobs
- 8/2/2014: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM: American Legion Post 42, 4530 Paoli Pike
New Albany
- 7/29/2014: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM: YMCA, 33 State Street
- 8/1/2014: 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM: Indiana University Southeast, 4201 Grant Line Road
- 8/1/2014: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Big Lots, 440 New Albany Place
- 8/3/2014: 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM: St. Mary Parish Center, 415 E. 8th St.
Louisville
- 7/26/2014: 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM: Owl Creek Gym, 10607 Hobbs Station Road
- 7/26/2014: 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM: Wal-Mart, 7101 Cedar Springs Blvd.
- 7/27/2014: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Best Buy - Outer Loop, 4251 Outer Loop
- 7/28/2014: 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Zaxby's of Middletown, 807 Blankenbaker Parkway
- 7/29/2014: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Kroger, 12501 Shelbyville Road
- 7/31/2014: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Bachman Auto Group, 9650 Bluegrass Parkway
- 7/31/2014: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM: St. John Lutheran Church, 901 Breckenridge Lane
- 8/3/2014: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM: St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 7718 Columbine Drive
- 8/3/2014: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM: St. Thomas More, 6105 South Third St.
- 8/4/2014: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Ballard High School, 6000 Old Brownsboro Road
- 8/5/2014: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Spencerian College, 4627 Dixie Highway
- 8/5/2014: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Shively Christian Church, 1822 Kendall Lane
- 8/5/2014: 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Wyandotte Park, 1104 Beecher St.
- 8/5/2014: 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Incarnation Catholic Church, 2229 Lower Hunters Trace
Here'smore information on blood donation.
