Southcoast Blood Bank’s annual promotion, “Give a Pint, Get a Pound” returns to the region during National Blood Donor Month this January.
In January 2012, anyone who donates blood at the Southcoast Blood Bank at St. Luke’s Hospital or at any Southcoast Blood Bank site or blood drive, will receive a certificate for a free pound of coffee.
To keep the local community blood supply strong, the Southcoast Blood Bank must collect more than 16,000 pints of blood a year. Currently through local donor programs, the Southcoast Blood Bank collects 6,500 pints a year, which is less than half of the blood needed to supply Southcoast Hospitals and the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care. The remainder of the blood is purchased from external sources and therefore dependent on the national blood supply. The Southcoast Blood Bank provides blood for emergencies, for patients with cancer and other serious illnesses and for patients having surgery.
Giving locally makes a difference. When you give a single pint of blood to the Southcoast Blood Bank, you are saving a life and investing in your community. The Southcoast Blood Bank is the only local blood donor program that directly supports the communities of the South Coast region. Because every pint that’s donated to the Southcoast Blood Bank stays right here at Southcoast Hospitals, you could be saving a neighbor’s life.
The Southcoast Blood Bank is located at St. Luke’s Hospital, 101 Page Street, New Bedford, off the main lobby. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4 pm, Wednesdays 8:00 am to 7:30 pm and Saturdays from 8:00 to 2:30 pm. For more information or to make an appointment, call 508-961-5320. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org/bloodbank.