Did you know that only five percent of the population donates to meet 100 percent of the patient blood needs? Misconceptions are a big reason why more people don’t donate blood, but new donors are always in high demand.

“It’s surprising to hear the reasons why many people think they can’t donate, and most often it’s due to outdated or misunderstood information,” said Donor Recruitment Manager, Travis Dressler. “We encourage anyone who thinks they can’t donate blood to give us a call and find out more. With every donation, we can save up to three lives. Think of the impact we can have if more people were willing and able to give!”

While much more goes in to qualifying a donor to safely give blood, there are many common instances when people assume they can’t give blood but generally is not disqualifying. Some of these include taking medication including blood pressure, cholesterol, or anti-depressants, traveling outside the U.S., getting a tattoo or piercing or having a history of cancer.

Potential donors are encouraged to call Vitalant to find out if they are eligible to donate blood. The next opportunity to give will be Friday, Feb. 14 at the Woonsocket Community Center from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Contact Carrie Howard at 770-8997 or Mariah Jost at 351-9593 to make an appointment or call Vitalant at 877-25-VITAL for more information.

To save time, donors can now complete their Fast Track Health History Questionaire online the day of their donation by visiting www.vitalant.org/health or via the Vitalant mobile app. To donate blood, volunteers must be at least 16 years old (16- and 17-year-old donors need a minor donor permit which is available at the blood drive or online) and be in good health.