The American Red Cross is urging blood donors to step up now. As a thank you, those who donate in August will receive an ...

Donations also can be mailed to the national headquarters at the American Red Cross, Box 37243, Washington DC, 20013. Local Red Cross inundated with calls to help ...

These donations take about an hour. Those looking to make a donation can make an appointment‚ or search for a nearby blood drive, on the Red Cross’s website, or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

The number of people donating blood has dropped 40% over the last two decades, according to the Red Cross. Severe winter weather and illnesses could make an already bad situation even worse, it says.