There is an urgent need for blood donations and it’s primarily due to the pandemic.

Fortunately, there are three local opportunities to help boost the area’s blood supply this week.

James Jarvis is the Executive Director of the Cape Fear Region of the American Red Cross, which includes Goldsboro and Wayne County.

He says 20% of blood donations come from school drives, so most of those drives disappeared when remote learning began.

The Red Cross experienced a similar loss when many workplaces switched to work-from-home.

Jarvis ensures the Red Cross has instituted enhanced COVID-19 safety protocols for its blood drives that are compliant with CDC guidelines.

This week’s blood drives will be held:

• Tuesday, January 12, from 1:30 – 6 PM at the Red Cross Office, 600 N. George Street
• Thursday, January 14, from 10 AM – 2:30 PM at 1601 Clingman Street (Goldsboro City Employees’ Hosted Blood Drive)
• Thursday, January 14, from 10 AM – 2:30 PM at 600 N. George Street (Wayne County Employees’ Hosted Blood Drive)

NOTE: The city and county-hosted blood drives are open to the public. 

You can register to donate blood through the Blood Donor App or at redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code “Goldsboro”.

Donors that donate this month will also be registered for an NFL prize package which could include tickets to next year’s Super Bowl.

The American Red Cross is also looking for organizations that are willing to host blood drives.