American Red Cross declares national emergency blood shortage

(WAND) - The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage across the country.

They said this is due in part to dangerous levels of heat and people being busy with travel plans throughout the summer months.

Since July 1, the Red Cross national blood supply has fallen by more than 25%, and blood donors of all types, especially those with type O blood, are urged to give as soon as possible.

Heat impacted more than 100 blood drives in July in nearly every state where the Red Cross collects blood. There was a shortfall of more than 19,000 blood donations in July.

Blood products are being sent to hospitals faster than donations are coming in. Type O inventory is so low, distributions of this blood type are reduced below what hospitals count on, the Red Cross said.

“It’s critical hospitals have both type O positive and O negative blood ready to go for patients in the most life-threatening situations,” said Dr. Eric Gehrie, executive physician director for the Red Cross. “Type O is especially important for victims of accidents and other trauma who are receiving emergency treatment. Now is the time for donors of all blood types to give and ensure hospital shelves can be restocked before any impact to patient care.”

To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities Aug. 5-31:

Bond
Greenville
8/8/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Bond County Health Department, 1520 South 4th Street
8/20/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Greenville Community, 1110 E Harris Ave
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Champaign
Urbana
8/9/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Urbana Rising Hope Church, 408 E. Illinois St
8/29/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., University of Illinois Illini Union, 1401 West Green Street
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Christian
Taylorville
8/15/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Fire Dept, 202 N. Main St.
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Clark
Marshall
8/29/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., St. Mary's Catholic Church, 414 South 6th Street
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Clay
Clay City
8/30/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Clay City High School, 607 S Walnut St
Flora
8/8/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Flora Church of the Nazarene, Route 50 and Parsons Lane, PO Box 343
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Clinton
Albers
8/8/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Albers American Legion, 600 N Bertha Street
Breese
8/22/2024: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., St Rose School, 18004 St Rose Road
Carlyle
8/9/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Carlyle High School, 1461 12th street
Germantown
8/13/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., American Legion Hall, 1105 Sycamore
Hoffman
8/5/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Hoffman Village Hall, 110 East Park Avenue
Trenton
8/6/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., West Gate Baptist Church, 843 West Broadway
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Coles
Charleston
8/5/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., HOME CHURCH, 2350 East Madison
8/7/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Charleston Public Library, 712 6th Street
8/21/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church - Charleston, 921 Madison
8/27/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Charleston First Church of God, 1225 Montgomery Drive
Mattoon
8/7/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Burgess Osborne Auditorium, 1701 Wabash Avenue
8/28/2024: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Lake Land College, 5001 Lake Land Blvd
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Crawford
Flat Rock
8/23/2024: 1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Flat Rock Community Center, 310 West Second Street
Oblong
8/20/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Oblong Municipal Building, 202 South Range
Robinson
8/21/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Robinson Community Center, 300 South Lincoln
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Cumberland
Neoga
8/6/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Grace United Methodist Church, 752 Walnut Ave
Toledo
8/26/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., CEEBA, 205 S New York St
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Dewitt
Clinton
8/22/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Clinton Warner Hospital and Health Services, 422 West White
Farmer City
8/12/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Legion, 755 Stensel Drive
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Douglas
Arthur
8/27/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Four Acre, 553 North County Road 240 East
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Edgar
Chrisman
8/5/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Chrisman Church of the Nazarene, 313 North Pennsylvania
Paris
8/26/2024: 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., VFW, 601 W Court Street
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Effingham
Effingham Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center 
603 Eden Ave, Effingham, IL 62401 
Mon Closed 
Tue 11:30AM - 7:30PM 
Wed 11:30AM - 7:30PM 
Thu 11:30AM - 7:30PM 
Fri Closed 
Sat 7AM - 3PM 
Sun Closed 
Dieterich
8/28/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Dieterich High School, 205 S Pine
Effingham
8/8/2024: 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Effingham County Farm Bureau, 1102 W. Evergreen
8/20/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Effingham Event Center, 1501 West Fayette
8/22/2024: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Dieterich Bank, 300 Sur Woods Dr.
Mason
8/20/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Mason Christian Church Annex, 624 North Route 37
Teutopolis
8/27/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Teutopolis Banquet Hall, 210 S Pearl
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Fayette
Farina
8/19/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Legion Hall, 301 West Madison Street
Vandalia
8/8/2024: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., Fayette Co. Health Dept., 416 W. Edwards
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Ford
Gibson City
8/5/2024: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., Gibson City Melvin-Sibley High School, 815 North Church Street
8/9/2024: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services, 209 E 8th Street
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Franklin
Benton
8/7/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Franklin Hospital, 201 Bailey Lane
Christopher
8/5/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Christopher Civic Center, 208 North Thomas Street
West Frankfort
8/15/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., West Frankfort Masonic Lodge, 707 S Logan St
8/28/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., West Frankfort Park District, 1100 East Cleveland
Whittington
8/19/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Whittington Church, 200 main street
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Hamilton
Dahlgren
8/27/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Dahlgren Baptist Church, 402 West Main Street
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Jasper
Sainte Marie
8/19/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., St Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 112 Embarrass
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Jefferson
Belle Rive
8/12/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Belle Rive Missionary Baptist Church, 401 South Main Street
Ina
8/27/2024: 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Rend Lake College, 468 North Kengray Parkway
Mount Vernon
8/9/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Campground Baptist Church, 16768 E. Fairfield Rd
8/12/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Rolland Lewis Community Building, South 27th Street
8/22/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Rolland Lewis Community Building, South 27th Street
8/29/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Central Christian Church, 314 North 12th Street
8/30/2024: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., McClellan Grade School, 9475 North Illinois Highway 148
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Macon
Argenta
8/6/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., The Bridge Fellowship, 520 West Elm
8/28/2024: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Argenta Oreana High School, 500 North Main Street
Decatur
8/6/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Decatur Blood Donation Center, 2674 N. Main St
8/13/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Decatur Blood Donation Center, 2674 N. Main St
8/20/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Decatur Blood Donation Center, 2674 N. Main St
8/27/2024: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Decatur Blood Donation Center, 2674 N. Main St
8/31/2024: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Decatur Scovill Zoo, 71 S Country Club Rd
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Macoupin
Bunker Hill
8/20/2024: 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Bunker Hill Municipal Building, 801 S. Franklin Street
Carlinville
8/30/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Carlinville Moose Lodge #1216, 801 Pine St.
Gillespie
8/9/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Gillespie-Benld Ambulance Service, 208 Charles St
Shipman
8/12/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Shipman Community Center, Keating and Front St.
Staunton
8/12/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Ralph and Josephine Oltmann Community Center, 101 West Pearl
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Marion
Centralia
8/16/2024: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Centralia Elks Lodge, 235 North Locust Street
8/22/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., St Marys School, 424 East Broadway
Kinmundy
8/9/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Kinmundy Community Center, 104 W 3rd St
Odin
8/20/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Odin Public School, 102 South Merritt
Patoka
8/21/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., American Legion Post 543, North Washington
Salem
8/9/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., St Theresa of Avila Catholic Church Parish Center, 812 West Main
8/14/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Community Building Salem, 416 Oglesby
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Montgomery
Litchfield
8/6/2024: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Litchfield Moose Lodge, 221 North Madison
Raymond
8/30/2024: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Raymond Baptist Church, 511 E Broad St
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Moultrie
Bethany
8/14/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Bethany Fire Station, Route 121
Lovington
8/6/2024: 12 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Lovington Christian Church, 301 S County St.
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Perry
Du Quoin
8/15/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., First Christian Church, 312 E Main St
8/19/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Du Quion State Fair, 655 Executive Dr
8/29/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Marshall Browning Hospital, 900 North Washington
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Richland
Olney
8/7/2024: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., Immanuel United Methodist Church, 700 North E Street
8/16/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Olney Southern Baptist Church, 205 East Mack Avenue
8/18/2024: 7 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., St Joseph Stringtown Community Club, 6342 County Rd 1700 E
8/29/2024: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Olney Central College, 305 North West Street
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Sangamon
Springfield
8/16/2024: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Illinois Building - State Fairgrounds, 801 E Sangamon Ave
8/16/2024: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Springfield Lincoln Library, 326 S. 7th Street
8/30/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Southeast High School, 2350 E. Ash St
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Shelby
Shelbyville
8/23/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1201 N. Chestnut St
8/23/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., VFW Post 4829, 513 South Cedar Street
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Washington
Nashville
8/5/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., American Legion, 533 East Legion Drive
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Williamson
Carterville
8/12/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Walker's Bluff Casino Resort, 777 Walkers Bluff Way
8/22/2024: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., John A Logan College, 700 Logan College Road
Herrin
8/23/2024: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Herrin Fire Department, 300 Norht Park Ave.
8/26/2024: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Herrin Civic Center, 101 S 16th Street
Johnston City
8/29/2024: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., JC Scout Cabin, 1308 Parkway Dr
Marion
8/6/2024: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., The Pavilion, 211 E Boulevard St
8/7/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 600 North Russell
8/15/2024: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Veteran's Airport, 10400 Terminal Drive, #200
8/16/2024: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Veteran's Airport, 10400 Terminal Drive, #200
8/19/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Marion Elk's Lodge, 204 S Market Street
8/21/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., The Hub, 917 West Main
8/26/2024: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 1200 South Carbon Street
8/27/2024: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Marion Aldersgate Church, 1201 Fair Street
8/28/2024: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Veteran's Airport, 10400 Terminal Drive, #200