Urgent Need for Blood

The Central California Blood Bank held a a blood drive at the Clovis Chamber of Commerce office in October 2020. (Tori Lavon/Clovis Roundup)

The local blood supply is dangerously low and the Central California Blood Center (CCBC) is in an urgent need for blood donations.

CCBC is asking anyone who is healthy and well to please consider donating blood. Those who are healthy are able to donate blood every 8 weeks. Since blood cannot be manufactured and only has a shelf like of 42 days, CCBC is looking for people immediately to donate. This low blood supply is causing major concerns for patients’ safety.

CCBC provides blood to over 30 hospitals in facilities like Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Kings and Mariposa Counties. Anywhere between 5,000 to 6,000 pints of blood need to be collected each month in order to meet the needs of patients in our Central Valley community.

“When we are unable to keep up with collections of blood, specifically of the blood type O, we risk patients not being properly cared for with vital procedures being postponed or worse,” says Ersilia Lacaze, Director of Marketing & Community Development for Central California Blood Center. “We cannot allow this to happen. Please dedicate the time and come out for your community.” There are many places to donate blood around Clovis like:

  • Jenny Eller Donor Center in Fresno located at 4343 W. Herndon Ave
  • Fresno Donor Center  in Fresno located at 1196 E. Shaw Ave
  • North Fresno Donor Center in Fresno located at 1010 E. Perrin Ave
  • Visalia Donor Center  in Visalia located at 2245 W. Caldwell Ave

For more information on how you can donate, visit donateblood.org.