Roll up your sleeve, Idaho! Red Cross needs blood to keep supply strong amid pandemic

The Idaho Foodbank’s IdahoKind fundraising and awareness campaign comes to a close mid-February (Feb. 14 to be exact). Have you shared your act of kindness yet?

Even if you have, and have given money to help food-needy Idahoans, I can’t think of a more impactful gesture than donating blood to save someone’s life.

And the American Red Cross is providing several opportunities for you to do just that.

It’s already challenging for the Red Cross to maintain strong blood supplies during this time of the year, with winter weather and illnesses impeding donors, but add COVID-19 to the mix and you can imagine the detrimental effect.

Having blood available is extremely important, especially during a pandemic, to help patients battling disease and facing the unexpected.

Therefore, healthy individuals are strongly encouraged to give blood, platelets or plasma at an American Red Cross blood drive in their area.

“Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions — including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff — have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance,” according to a news release.

Here is the rundown:

BOISE

▪ Feb. 5: 1 to 6 p.m., St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 7960 W. Northview St.

▪ Feb. 8: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., St. Luke’s Health System, 190 E. Bannock St.

▪ Feb. 9: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn Boise Downtown, 348 S. 13th St.

▪ Feb. 10: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 4950 N. Bradley St.

▪ Feb. 10: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., One Capital Center, 999 W. Main St.

MERIDIAN

▪ Feb. 5: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Village at Meridian, 3693 E. Longwing Lane #110

▪ Feb. 8: 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1615 W. 2nd St.

▪ Feb. 12: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Village at Meridian, 3693 E. Longwing Lane #110

CALDWELL

▪ Feb. 2: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Caldwell Family YMCA, 3720 S. Indiana Ave.

▪ Feb. 11: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Best Western Plus Caldwell Inn, 908 Specht Ave.

NAMPA

▪ Feb. 3: 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., Real Life Community Church, 120 14th Avenue S.

▪ Feb. 5: 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church, 404 Nectarine St.

▪ Feb. 9: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Hope Baptist Church, 1829 W. Iowa Ave.

▪ Feb. 11: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Centennial Job Corps Recreation Center, 3201 Ridgecrest Drive

▪ Feb. 12: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., First Christian Church, 619 12th Avenue S.

▪ Feb. 15: 12:30 to 6 p.m., Karcher Church of the Nazarene-Family Life Center, 2515 W. Karcher Road

PARMA

▪ Feb. 2: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Parma High School, 137 Panther Way

EMMETT

▪ Feb. 3: 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., Senior Center, 719 S. Johns Ave.

FRUITLAND

▪ Feb. 4: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Four Rivers Crossfit, 777 N.W. 16th St.

NEW PLYMOUTH

▪ Feb. 3: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Internet Truck Stop, 222 N. Plymouth Ave.

Appointments are required by downloading the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

And as a thank-you for your lifesaving gift, donors will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card via email, courtesy of Amazon.

The Red Cross is also testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies, with those test results available within one to two weeks in the Red Cross Blood Donor App or donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.