By donating about an hour of time and a pint of blood, students, faculty and staff of Saint Mary's College can help those in need, Olivia Barzydlo Critchlow, assistant director of the Office for Civic and Social Engagement (OCSE) said.
The College will hold an American Red Cross blood drive Wednesday from 12 to 6 p.m. in the Earley Conference Rooms in the Student Center basement.
"Blood drives are a very important way for individuals to give back to their community," Critchlow said. "There is always a need for blood, and what better way could you think of giving to someone during the holiday season than to donate blood to possibly save a life?"
Critchlow said the College holds four blood drives each academic year.
"As [blood] cannot be manufactured, the only place to get it for those in need is from healthy donors. I believe that if someone is able to donate blood they should definitely consider doing it as it truly does save lives," she said.
Critchlow said the entire donating process takes about an hour. Donors must answer screening questions before they donate. They will then have their blood pressure, temperature, pulse and iron levels tested.
According to Critchlow, the actual donation time is around 10 minutes. Donors are asked to stay for around 10 to 15 minutes to rest and eat snacks after donation.
Critchlow encouraged students to try giving blood even if they are afraid.
"Give it a try, even if it's just once," she said. "It's definitely not as bad as you may think, and the staff from the Red Cross is excellent at working with those who are donating for the first time."
If students do not wish to donate blood but still wish to volunteer, Critchlow said there are other ways to help with the blood drive.
"Volunteers are needed to help staff the check-in table as well as the refreshments table," she said.
According to an e-mail sent to the Saint Mary's community, students, faculty and staff can sign up for a donation appointment by visiting givelife.org with the sponsor code of smcnd.
"Blood is always needed," Critchlow said. "Please consider giving something incredibly special to those in need during this holiday season."
