We will be happy to help you with any request by email: info@fordonate.com
For platelets, the apheresis machine will collect a small amount of blood, remove the platelets, and return the rest of the blood through your other arm; this cycle will be repeated several times over about 2 hours.
To ensure the safety of both patients and donors, these are some of the requirements donors must meet to be eligible to donate blood based on their donation type. To explore a list of eligibility information, Search by Keyword or Browse All.
Giving the "right" type of blood donation - based on your blood type and patient needs - helps ensure the best use of your valuable contribution. Here are some things to consider when determining how you can have the most impact.
Whole blood is the most flexible type of donation. It can be transfused in its original form, or used to help multiple people when separated into its specific components of red cells, plasma and platelets. Learn more about whole blood donations.
During a Power Red donation, you give a concentrated dose of red cells, the part of your blood used every day for those needing transfusions as part of their care. This type of donation uses an automated process that separates your red blood cells from the other blood components, and then safely and comfortably returns your plasma and platelets to you.
In a platelet donation, an apheresis machine collects your platelets along with some plasma, returning your red cells and most of the plasma back to you. A single donation of platelets can yield several transfusable units, whereas it takes about five whole blood donations to make up a single transfusable unit of platelets.
During an AB Elite donation, you give plasma, a part of your blood used to treat patients in emergency situations. AB plasma can be given to anyone regardless of their blood type. Plasma is collected through an automated process that separates plasma from other blood components, then safely and comfortably returns your red blood cells and platelets to you. AB Elite maximizes your donation and takes just a few minutes longer than donating blood.
"This center isn't even that busy. But the wait time is always longer than a hour to actually begin the donation. This staff is not bad at all they just dont have that sense of urgency you look for in a place like this where you want to be in and out in a decent amount of time"
At-home rapid blood type testing kits are available for those who are curious to know their blood type, but are for informational purposes only. They're widely available online, and can be found on Amazon or specialty home testing sites such as Everlywell.
While it may be intriguing to know your blood type, experts say there is little benefit to taking a home test to find out. In fact, 20% of home test users determine a result different from what a laboratory test shows.2
The two first antigens are called Type A and Type B. An individual who has both on his or her red blood cells will be Type AB. An individual who has neither A nor B antigens on his or her red blood cells will be Type O blood.
In addition to the Type A and Type B antigens, there is another antigen called the Rh factor. If the Rh factor is present on the red blood cells, the individual is Rh positive. If it is not present, the individual is Rh negative.
Rh factor is not really relevant to a person's health except after a woman's first pregnancy. Even then, there are only implications for the 15% of mothers who are Rh negative, involving potential damage to a baby's red blood cells in subsequent pregnancies.5 All pregnant women have their blood type, including Rh factor, tested.
“Since blood is made in the bone marrow, the blood type can change if someone gets a bone marrow transplant,” Stevens says. ”Also, it may look temporarily different if a patient gets a large blood transfusion, such as from an emergency group O transfusion following a major trauma."
“Much of modern medicine relies on blood donation, so blood donation is very important,” Stevens says. “All blood types are needed in various ways, so knowing your blood type can help you know what donations would be most helpful.”
"African American individuals have a unique set of antigens that are not found in the Caucasian population, which makes up the majority of donors," she says. "There are some known incompatibilities and there is a struggle to have enough blood to meet the needs of African American community."
Now in our second century of service, Greater Atlanta’s Red Cross is hard at work in our diverse community of 5 million people – every day – bringing help and hope to neighbors in need. With the same passion and commitment of our volunteer founders, we’re empowering a new generation to prevent, prepare for and cope with emergencies that devastate homes, threaten lives and separate loved ones.
The Emory University Red Cross Club is a proud part of the Red Cross Club network in Georgia and throughout the country.Please join them in support of the American Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative. A gift of any size will help us inspire and engage blood donors who are Black and African American and conduct in-depth testing, typing and matching of blood products for people living with sickle cell disease.
If you’re passionate about helping people and looking for a volunteer opportunity with a visionary humanitarian organization, you can make a difference with the American Red Cross of Atlanta. Adults and teenagers (aged 15-17) are encouraged to apply and engage in meaningful opportunities for education, training and community service.
You don’t need a special reason to give blood. You just need your own reason. Maybe you were asked by a friend or relative, or maybe you believe it's the right thing to do. Whatever your reason, the need for blood donors is constant, and your contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. You'll also feel great knowing you've helped change a life!
Your donation powers the Red Cross response to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year nationwide, providing shelter, food, emotional support and other necessities to those affected. By making a charitable donation to the Red Cross, you are there for millions of people who face emergencies every year and help as they rebuild their lives.
Host a charity stream by playing your favorite video games while raising life-saving funds to help those in need. You can also fundraise your own way by energizing your community through celebrating a special occasion or being creative to help to those in need. Click a button below to get started!
Here in Georgia, Red Cross volunteers aid families affected by home fires 365 days a year. And this spring, American Red Cross volunteers will Sound the Alarm in at-risk communities by educating people about home fire safety and installing free smoke alarms.
The need for blood is constant and your contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. You will feel good knowing you've helped change a life. Schedule an appointment at one of our locations.
Lacking full time access to a car limited Anusha’s options, but when she learned the Information and Planning position required only computer access along with strategic, analytical and tactical skills, Anusha found a position she felt could expand her professional competencies.
“I came to the Red Cross with a defined set of technical skills” Anusha shared, “Thanks to my work in Information and Planning I stepped into a leadership role within three months, interacting regularly with leaders at the regional and national level. This experience advanced my professional goals in people management and negotiations and as a result I am now interested in working as a program manager.”
In her role as Information and Planning Anusha is among the first people called when a sizable disaster hits. Once familiarized with the disaster action report, Anusha assembles and disperses the initial incident report which provides disaster response managers the information needed to determine the services and resources required along with the needed workforce. Within the first 24 hours of a disaster and continuing throughout the operation, Anusha collects, organizes and disseminates all operational and logistical information from shelter supply trailers to meals to communication channels to keep the response and recovery mission situationally current.
As is typical with Red Cross volunteering, however, Anusha’s experience is not limited to the information systems and data dissemination of the Information and Planning position. Her first disaster deployment placed the L.A. resident in Texas when the Red Cross was called upon to help the surge of children arriving alone at the U.S.-Mexico border. As a shelter associate with the mass care program, Anusha helped provide the children a safe place to stay along with a sense of comfort and friendship. As an immigrant herself Anusha worked hard to make things better for the unaccompanied minors, looking forward every day to interacting with them and understanding what they were feeling and experiencing. She even learned to speak a little Spanish, tossing the fear of inhibitions aside.
“When I deployed to the border, I felt so good at the end of the day and I slept well each night. It’s very different to just hear or read about working an emergency from being at the scene helping people in deep distress. That’s when I understood what it’s really like to be in service. I was also able to witness all the support Red Cross provides and why the organization is so trusted. The experience helped me grow mentally, emotionally and professionally.”
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit
Hot weather can be dangerous for your family pets. Don't ever leave them in a hot car, if possible keep them inside, out of the heat and give them plenty of cool water. If chickens are your pet choice, make sure they have fresh, clean water and a shady spot to lounge.
Summer’s heat can be dangerous for your family pets and this year could be particularly hazardous as experts report we may see hotter than normal weather across most of the country. The American Red Cross has steps you can take to help ensure your pet stays safe when the temperatures rise.
HEAT STROKE Animals can suffer heat stroke in the warmer weather. Dogs with short noses or snouts, like the boxer or bulldog, are especially prone to heat stroke, along with overweight pets, those with extremely thick fur coat or any pet with upper respiratory problems such as laryngeal paralysis or collapsing trachea.
If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, take their temperature rectally. If the temperature is above 105 degrees, cool the animal down. The easiest way to do this is by using the water hose. Stop cooling the animal when the temperature reaches 103 degrees. Bring your pet to the veterinarian immediately as heat stroke can lead to severe organ dysfunction and damage.
RESOURCES Download the Red Cross Pet First Aid app for step-by-step instructions for first aid emergencies, toxic substances, a pet profile for storing tag ID, photo and medical information, early warning signs for when to contact a veterinarian and an animal hospital locator. You can find it in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross, texting GETPET to 90999 for a link to download the app or going to redcross.org/apps.
Step-by-step instructions and visual aids for what to do if a pet is choking, needs CPR, has a wound, or is having a seizure; and information on preventative care, health and tips for a pet’s well-being.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission.
Sharks are vitally important to the health of the planet. Just like you play an equally important role in helping keep our national blood supply healthy and strong. So dive into donating; we won’t bite!
Michael Parks, Regional Executive of the Northeast Ohio Region of the American Red Cross, Alexis Starnes, Rachel D’Attoma, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley
Stow-Munroe Falls High School graduate Alexis Starnes would tell you that she’s grateful for the knowledge and training she received during her time as a Girl Scout and on December 30th, 2021 that training helped save the life of a small child.
That day, Alexis was working at the Small Steps Big Strides Childcare center in Stow as part of a real world work experience program through her school. She was feeding a 7-month-old girl baby food when the child stopped responding. “She stopped making noise and she wasn’t moving,” Alexis recalled during a recent interview with American Red Cross Regional Communications Director Jim McIntyre. Thanks to her Red Cross training, Alexis immediately recognized that these were signs that the child was choking. That’s when she unstrapped the child from her chair and began administering back blows, just like she learned in training.
Alexis was able to dislodge the food that was obstructing the baby’s airway. She saved the child’s life – something Alexis says she could have never done without her CPR and AED training from the Red Cross.
On June 8th, 2022, during the Lifesaving Award Program, Alexis was honored with the Certificate of Merit – the highest honor given by the Red Cross that is signed by the President of the United States. The award is given to someone who embodies the spirit of the Red Cross by using action to help alleviate human suffering in the face of an emergency. On that day, December 30th, 2021, that is exactly what Alexis did.
Michael Parks, Regional Executive of the Northeast Ohio Region of the American Red Cross, Erin Hosek, American Red Cross Instructor for the Girl Scouts of America, Alexis Starnes, Rachel D’Attoma, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley
Red Cross CPR and AED instructor and Girl Scout troop leader Erin Hosek, who taught Alexis her lifesaving skills, was also awarded the Lifesaving Instructor Award. After receiving her award, Erin pointed out that of her entire graduating Girl Scout troop, Alexis was the only one who chose to renew her certification two years after she had received her initial training. “And I’m glad she did,” Erin said, adding how proud she is of Alexis for using those lifesaving skills that day.
Alexis is continuing her education at Stark State University in the fall and will pursue a career in childcare. As for the young child Alexis saved, she says the girl still regularly attends the childcare facility in Stow and is a very happy and healthy baby.
Barton became President of the American branch of the society, known as the American National Red Cross in May 1881 in Washington. The first chapters opened in upstate New York, where she had connections.[13] John D. Rockefeller and four others donated money to help create a national headquarters near the White House.[14] The abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a friend of Barton's, offered advice and support as she sought to establish the American chapter of Red Cross. As Register of Deeds for the District of Columbia, Douglass also signed the American Red Cross's original Articles of Incorporation.
In February 1999, ARC completed its "Transformation", a $287 million program that re engineered Red Cross Blood Services' processing, testing, and distribution system and established a new management structure.
ARC is moving toward system-wide universal prestorage leukocyte reduction to improve patient care. From 1976 to 1985, the FDA received reports of 355 fatalities associated with transfusion, 99 of which were excluded from further review because they were unrelated to transfusion or involved hepatitis or HIV/AIDS.[35] While the FDA has not yet made leukoreduction a requirement, ARC took a leading role in implementing this procedure with a goal of leukoreducing all blood products. More than 70% of ARC red blood cell components undergo prestorage leukoreduction, a filtering process performed soon after blood is donated.
In addition to basic level certifications in the above courses the American Red Cross also offers Instructor level courses and Instructor Trainer (IT) level courses. Instructor level courses are designed to teach participants how to become instructors for American Red Cross courses, whereas Instructor Trainer courses (also known as Instructor Trainer Academies) are designed to certify current instructors to become Instructor Trainers, or people who can teach Instructor level courses.
In early 2018 all courses offered by the American Red Cross switched to BigRed mannequin. The investment cost $1.8 million and increased participants' understanding of the purpose of compressions during CPR.
ARC feeds emergency workers of other agencies, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, provides blood and blood products to disaster victims and helps those affected by a disaster to access other resources. It is a member of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and works closely with other agencies such as Salvation Army and Amateur Radio Emergency Service with whom it has memorandums of understanding.
A major misconception among the general public is that ARC provides medical facilities, engages in search and rescue operations or deploys ambulances. Instead, first responder roles are left to government agencies as dictated by the National Response Framework. Red Cross societies outside the U.S. may provide such functions; for example, the Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross) runs a national ambulance service. Furthermore, American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) look similar to ambulances.[41] These ERVs instead are designed for bulk distribution of relief supplies, such as meals, drinks and other relief supplies. Although ARC shelters usually assign a nurse to the facility, they are not equipped to provide medical care beyond first aid.
The Disaster Services Workforce (DSW) system enrolls volunteers from ARC chapters into a national database of responders, classified by their ability to serve in one or more activities within groups. Services include feeding and sheltering ("mass care") to warehousing, damage assessment, accounting, communications, public affairs and counseling. Responders complete training requirements specific to the services they want to offer, backgrounds, and first aid training.
Although the ARC was a non-governmental agency, its humanitarian efforts lined up with American foreign policy, becoming a useful diplomatic mechanism for softening the effects of American military intervention and securing its political interests.[51]
The American Red Cross in the war was a quasi-state organization, but it is best described as a non-governmental organization as it was not officially part of the United States Government. The American Red Cross in the war focused principally on overseas civilian aid and not domestic disaster relief. The American Red Cross spent "less than one million dollars on domestic disaster relief, in comparison to the $120 million devoted to relief overseas.[53] The American Red Cross during the war provided food, employment, housing and medical assistance to millions of civilians displaced by the war. During the course of the war over one third of the population of the United States joined the organization and in 1917 and 1918 alone around $400 million was raised.[54] Amongst its initiatives was the Pisa Village in Italy, a humanitarian housing project begun in 1918.
At the end of the war the League of Red Cross Societies was created. This international society of national Red Cross organizations was spearheaded by the United States and sought the "improvement of health, the prevention of disease, and the mitigation of suffering throughout the world."[57]
The ARC's private funding allowed for more flexibility than government organizations, its leaders chose to support U.S. foreign policy in many ways but also often pursued aims that differed from that of the military or political policymakers.[60] Hundreds of ARC workers pursued permanent reform of Italian social politics, rather than emergency relief they founded nursing schools, developed child welfare projects and waged anti-tuberculosis crusades.[61] In introducing these American ideas about public health and social welfare, the ARC acted as what historian Daniel T. Rodgers had referred to as 'brokers of ideas', who facilitated transatlantic exchange on the methods and philosophies of social reform.[62] Work in the ARC allowed American citizens to contribute to transatlantic social reform discourse. ARC workers built upon and expanded the already existing Italian efforts for social reform. ARC reformers embraced a strategic cultural sensitivity as they attempted to work with Italians and help them to take control of their own social institutions. By presenting their reforms as mutual exchange rather than imposed change, ARC workers hoped Italians would willingly accept them.[63] U.S. reformers in the ARC continued to believe in the necessity of American intervention in 'reforming' Italy.
ARC international disaster response and preparedness programs provide relief and development assistance to millions of people annually who suffer as a result of natural and human-made disasters. To respond quickly and effectively, ARC has pre-positioned emergency relief supplies in three warehouses managed by the International Federation in Dubai, Malaysia, and Panama that are used to respond to disasters. An Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is another method with which ARC responds to international emergencies. An ERU is made up of trained personnel and pre-packaged equipment that is crucial in responding to sudden, large-scale disasters and emergencies in remote locations. American Red Cross ERUs specialize in providing emergency relief supplies and IT and Telecommunications for American Red Cross response operations.[78]
As of March 2011, ARC announced it had allocated $314 million for Haiti earthquake relief and recovery. ARC funded recovery projects to provide transitional homes, health services, disaster preparedness, water and sanitation improvements and livelihoods development. It provided funds for school fees for affected families. As of June 2011, ARC had raised approximately $484 million for Haiti relief and recovery efforts.[81]
ARC International Services global health initiatives focus on preventing and combating infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and measles on a large scale. Through cost-effective, community-based health interventions, ARC targets people in need and focuses on accessibility and equity of care, community participation, and integration with other community development initiatives, such as water and sanitation projects and food and nutrition programs.
In December 2006, ARC became a founding partner of the Malaria No More campaign. The campaign was formed by leading non-governmental organizations to inspire individuals, institutions, and organizations in the private sector to support a comprehensive approach to end malaria, a devastating but preventable disease. ARC supported local Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers in Africa who educated families and communities about malaria prevention and treatment, such as the proper and consistent use of insecticide-treated bed nets. ARC provided technical assistance and capacity-building support to its partners in difficult-to-reach communities.
ARC provides emergency and non-emergency services to the United States military. The most notable service is emergency family communications, where families can contact the Red Cross to send important family messages (such as a death in the family, or new birth). ARC can also act as a verifying agency.[85] The agency operates call centers to provide these services.[86] ARC works closely with other military societies, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, to provide other services to service members and their families. ARC is not involved with prisoners of war; these are monitored by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the international body.
In 2011, the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) unit was reorganized and began receiving $24 million per year from Congress for operating expenses. Along with being downsized there was a consolidation into four regional locations (San Diego, California, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, Louisville, Kentucky, and Springfield, Massachusetts). In 2012 the first stories began breaking about long call times and the poor quality of response from call takers,[91][92] along with questions about whether money was being used appropriately.[93] In 2015, the San Diego and Springfield locations were closed because an online option for families was implemented.[94]
The FDA took court action against ARC in response to deficiencies in their procedures for ensuring blood supply safety. The resulting consent decree outlines violations of federal law that ARC engaged in before 1993.[100] ARC paid millions of dollars in fines.
ARC worked closely with the FDA to develop a more robust system. The systems resulted in a five-year period of sustained compliance that led to the release from the Consent Decree as of December 4, 2015.[103]
Each day, thousands of people – people just like you – provide compassionate care to those in need. Our network of generous donors, volunteers and employees share a mission of preventing and relieving suffering, here at home and around the world.
We roll up our sleeves and donate time, money and blood. We learn or teach life-saving skills so our communities can be better prepared when the need arises. We do this every day because the Red Cross is needed - every day.
To learn more, visit