Blood donors needed to prevent summer shortage; where to give in August

With many families being out of town on vacation, there are plenty of open appointments for qualified volunteers to donate blood in Lancaster County.

Three area health care organizations make it easy to find a donation drive near you, and to register for an appointment during August.

The American Red Cross says it has seen declining donations this summer and wants to avoid a blood shortage. Donors with blood types O negative, O positive and B negative, and platelet donors, are especially needed.

You can visit the websites for the American Red Cross, the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health for information on who qualifies to be a donor and for registration and tips on how to prepare to donate blood.

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Here’s a list of places and times when you can donate blood during the month of August.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health

Donors may go to blood drives at various locations or can go to the donor center at the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Suburban Pavilion, 2104 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster, from Monday through Friday.

All blood donors must schedule an appointment to donate by calling 717-544-0177 or going to LGhealth.org/giveblood. Visit the website for donor center hours.

Blood drives for August are:

— Providence Township Building, 200 Mount Airy Road, New Providence, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1.

— Ascension Lutheran Church, 600 Penn Grant Road, Willow Street, 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2.

— Lancaster General Hospital — James Street, 555 Duke St., Lancaster, in the third-floor common area, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3.

— Hosanna Church, 29 Green Acre Road, Lititz, 2-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8.

— Kinzer Fire Company, 3521 Lincoln Highway, Kinzers, 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9.

— Robert Fulton Fire Company, 2271 Robert Fulton Highway, Peach Bottom, 2-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10.

— Grace Church at Willow Valley, 300 Willow Valley Square, Lancaster, 2-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15.

— Witmer Fire Protection Association, 455 Mount Sydney Road, Witmer, 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16.

— Alliance Church of Elizabethtown, 425 Cloverleaf Road, Elizabethtown, 2-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17.

— The Factory Ministries, 3293 East Lincoln Highway, Paradise, 2-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22.

— Lancaster General Health — Willow Lakes, 202 Willow Lakes Drive, Willow Street, noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23.

— Bart Fire Company, 11 Furnace Road, Quarryville, 2-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24.

— Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, 2102 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29.

— White Horse Fire Company, 111 White Horse Road, Gap, 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30.

— Women and Babies Hospital, 690 Good Drive, Lancaster, 1-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31.

American Red Cross

American Red Cross donors can register and schedule a time and place to donate at RedCrossBlood.org. You can also call 800-733-2767 or download the Red Cross blood donor app.

Those who donate during by Aug. 12 will receive a $10 e-gift card to a movie merchant of their choice, and be entered for a chance to win a three-night New York getaway for two with a private shark dive adventure at Long Island Aquarium. See RedCrossBlood.org/Movie for details.

Red Cross blood drives scheduled through the end of August include:

— East Petersburg Mennonite Church, 6279 Main St., East Petersburg, 1-6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1.

— Christ Lutheran Church, 75 E. High St., Elizabethtown, noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2.

— Penn State Health Medical Group, Lime Spring Hematology/Oncology, 2221 Noll Drive, Suite B, Lancaster, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4.

— Eden Resort, 222 Eden Road, Lancaster, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4.

— First Presbyterian Church, 101 S. Decatur St., Strasburg, 1-6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9.

— Park City Center, 142 Park City Center, Lancaster, in the space next to White House Black Market, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10.

— Wesley United Methodist Church, 46 W. Main St., Strasburg, 1-6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16.

— Calvary Church. 1051 Landis Valley Road, Lancaster, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18.

— LCBC Church Lancaster, 313 W. Liberty St., Lancaster, noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24.

— Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, 2775 Lebanon Road, north of Manheim, in the Wine Shop parking lot at Mount Hope Estate & Winery, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Aug. 25-27; use sponsor code PARenFaire when you sign up for an appointment. Donors will receive a complimentary admission ticket to the Renaissance Faire, valid any weekend in 2023.

Central PA Blood Bank

You can donate Monday through Friday at the Lancaster Donor Center, 3027 Columbia Ave., in East Hempfield Township, or Monday through Thursday and Saturday at the Ephrata Donor Center, 446 N. Reading Road, Suite 201, Ephrata. Hours are posted on the website.

To donate to the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, donors can sign up at 717giveblood.org or call 800-771-0059.

Area blood drives through the end of August are:

— Lititz Church of the Brethren, 300 W. Orange St., Lititz, in the Family Life Center, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4.

— J.B. Hostetter & Sons Inc., 1225 W. Main St., Mount Joy, in the bloodmobile, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug.5.

— Fivepointville Fire Company, 1087 Dry Tavern Road, Denver, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7.

— Kirkwood Community Blood Drive, 422 Maple Shade Road, Kirkwood, in the bloodmobile, 5-9 p.m Monday, Aug. 7.

— Root’s Country Market and Auction, 705 Graystone Road, Manheim, in the bloodmobile, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8.

— Rheems Fire Department, 350 Anchor Road, Elizabethtown, in the conference room, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9.

— Fairmount Homes Retirement Community, 1100 Farm Crest Drive, Ephrata, in the Farm Crest Community Room, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10.

— Lancaster Barnstormers, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster, in the bloodmobile, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14.

— Penn Cinema, 541 Airport Road, register in the theater lobby and donate in the bloodmobile, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17.

— St. Peter Catholic Church, 1840 Marshall Drive, Elizabethtown, in the social hall, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20.

— Martindale Community Blood Drive, 527 Gristmill Road, Ephrata, in the training room, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21.

— Good’s Store, 333 W. Fourth St., Quarryville, in the parking lot, next to the digital sign, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24.

— Park City Center, 142 Park City Center, Lancaster, in the store space next to White House Black Market, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25.

— Garden Spot Fire Rescue, Station 1, 339 E. Main St., New Holland, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28.

— Universal Athletic Club, 2323 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, register in the lobby; the bloodmobile is in the parking lot, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29.

— Oregon Dairy, 2900 Oregon Pike, southeast of Lititz, in the bloodmobile, noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug.