Photo by Crystal Reed
Roger and Donna Walker donated blood at the drive held at Lovington Christian Church on Wednesday, January 4.

•January 11, 2023•
by Crystal Reed

There is a currently a blood shortage, and reasons being given for it are the holiday season, seasonal illness and weather causing drives to be cancelled. “This time of the year is challenging for collecting blood,” said Brian Williamsen, Communications Manager for the Illinois Regional American Red Cross. The American Red Cross supplies 40% of the nation’s blood.
January is National Blood Donor Month. Tina Fleenor, Territory Coordinator for ImpactLife said they try to have good promo vouchers for their donors to encourage them to come out to the blood drives in their areas as well as their donor centers across the four states they service. “The winter storms right before Christmas hit our region pretty hard with donors not able to get out due to the frigid temperatures,” she said. “Quite a few places we had drives set up closed the day of their drive so that left a lot of “promised” donations by the wayside.”     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.