January is National Blood Donor Month, and in recognition, we wanted to promote having a blood drive at the properties you manage.

Right now blood donation is more important than ever. Blood banks are experiencing critical shortages. It has been reported that over 2700 blood drives have been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Roughly, every 2 seconds someone is in need of a blood donation. Unfortunately, that demand is impossible to manage due to the current circumstances.

If you want to host a blood drive at your property it’s easier than you think! The Red Cross is available to help. Below are some great steps to help plan the perfect blood drive event for your property and to help those who really need your donation.

• Find a centralized location on your property with ample space for people to comfortably wait and fill out their paperwork. As we’re all still practicing social distancing, keep in mind that there must be 6 feet in between people. Also, make sure the area you plan to use is weatherproof in the event of rain. Since it’s January, it may also be cold outside! The last thing you want to do is cancel the drive after you have put in the hard work to plan it.
• Contact your local Red Cross office who will assign a representative to help you plan and organize your drive. Your representative will be able to answer any questions you may have in regards to your event. They will also supply you with information on how to find donors and volunteers in your area.
• Market your event. Use newsletters, social media, signage, and word-of-mouth to spread awareness throughout your community and to find donors. In your advertisements, encourage people to donate blood as well as donor gifts. Things like gift baskets, food truck coupons, and other giveaways help to encourage blood donation. Pro Tip! Having a food truck at your event will make it a lot easier to treat your volunteers after the event.
• Encourage blood donors to schedule times online for your event. This will help the flow and operation of the drive while also improving social distancing. When you schedule your event, your Red Cross representative will provide you with a link for people to sign up and schedule their donation.
• Lastly, don’t do this all on your own! Preparing and executing this event will be much easier and less stressful if you have a team working with you before and during the event.

MOBLZ would love to see your blood drive in action! Send us your pictures to vendorsupport@moblz.com.