US blood donations are down, how is SD in comparison

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — There is a nationwide shortage of blood. It’s down 25% from the beginning of August.

Giving blood is an easy way to give back to your community.

“I love helping people, so I guess this is a way I could help people in another way too,” Wendy Orr said.

That is exactly what the Community Blood Bank needs in order to keep the blood supply stocked at area hospitals.

“We need about 550 units of blood per week in order for us to meet the demands of our hospital patients,” Executive Director Ken Versteeg said.

Staff at the Community Blood Bank say that although numbers are usually down this time of the year, they are looking good right now.

“If it weren’t for our volunteer blood donors, as we went through the month of August, we would seriously be in some trouble right now, but because the last two weeks have been so strong, we have been successful in getting into fall and we’re actually sitting pretty good right now,” Versteeg said.

While the blood bank is in good shape right now, volunteers are always needed.

“Because we are a growing community, we are able to use pretty much everything that we get taken in. We’re growing here in the Sioux Falls area by 8,000 a year, and as that community continues to grow, and our surrounding communities, our demand for blood continues to rise,” Versteeg said.

While some blood types are more common than others, all types are needed.

“Majority of the population are either A positive or O positive, so that accounts to about 70% of the blood population,” Versteeg said.

“A lot of people will say ‘Well I’m not anything special, I’m just O positive,’ actually that’s the blood we need most the time,” Versteeg said.

It takes about 30 minutes to donate blood.

Click here to see where and when you are able to donate.