Where to donate blood in Philly? Here is a list of blood drives in your neighborhood

Amid a national and local blood shortage, January is a great time to give blood.

Area schools, churches and organizations are encouraging people to take a break, prop their feet up, eat some snacks and save a life during National Blood Donor Month.

Every two seconds, someone needs lifesaving blood to survive and one in seven patients entering a hospital will use donated blood, according to a news release from the Red Cross. From cancer patients to burn victims to trauma patients, one donation of blood can be life saving.

Supply, however, continues to outweigh demand, and has only gotten worse as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic continue.

Since January is National Blood Donor Month, we compiled a guide of everything you need to know about becoming a donor and what blood drives you can participate in near your community.

The American Red Cross runs a database of places where people can donate blood throughout the year. In January to early February, the following places will be hosting drives:

As part of their year of Dracula exhibition, the museum is offering free admission to folks who take part in their blood drive. Don’t worry, you won’t have to use your ticket on the same day.

📅 Jan.7, ⌚ 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,📍19 S. 22nd St., at Mitchell Hall, 🌐 muttermuseum.org, 📨Sign up

Temple Hospital will be holding a five-hour blood drive at Jeanes Campus. You must register to go. Use zip code 19111 to find the listing.

📅 Jan. 18, ⌚ 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,📍7600 Central Ave.,🌐Facebook.com., 📨Sign up

Nationwide nonprofit YMCA helps community members access resources to have healthier lives. In Philadelphia, they provide summer camps, youth programs, and community health and fitness classes to over 200,000 people. You don’t need to be a member to attend the blood drive.

📅 January 29, ⌚ 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,📍7201 Ridge Ave. (in the gym),🌐philaymca.org., 📨Sign up

This Philly non-profit offers bilingual food and clothing drives, health screenings, and mental health consultations. If you are looking to donate blood, but will feel more comfortable at a place that offers Spanish language services, consider this blood drive.

📅 February 5, ⌚ 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,📍200 East Wyoming Ave.,🌐misaludwellness.org

Local beer company Evil Genius will be giving a free beer token to all donors who participate in their blood drive. Atthe time of publication, there are 26 available spaces.

📅 February 6, ⌚ 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,📍1727 North Front St., 🌐evilgeniusbeer.com/, 📨Sign up

The University of Pennsylvania Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity is hosting a blood drive at Hillel. You don’t need to be a Penn student to attend, the event is open to all community members.

📅 February 7, ⌚ noon - 7:30 pm,📍215 S. 39th St., on the 2nd floor of the Shotel Dubin Auditorium in Steinhardt Hall, 🌐penn hillel.org.

📅 January 11, ⌚ 9 a.m. to 2 p.m,📍1452 Old York Road, Warminster, 🌐Facebook, 📨Sign up

📅 January 18, ⌚ 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,📍1220 American Boulevard, West Chester,🌐Facebook, 📨Sign up

Folks who donate will get free lunch.

📅 January 28, ⌚ 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,📍1 Riverstone Cir, New Hope,🌐Facebook

📅 January 7, ⌚9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,📍106 Broad St., Hainesport,🌐Facebook.

📅 January 19, ⌚2 p.m. to 7 p.m.,📍255 Edgewood Ave., Audubon, 📨Sign up

Technically, as long as you are feeling healthy, are at least 16 years old (for PA residents), and weigh more than 110 pounds, you should be able to donate blood. However, it can get more complicated if one of the following applies to you:

🤰 You can’t donate blood while pregnant, but you will be eligible again 6 weeks after giving birth.

🚶🏽 While the average person has 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood in their body, it depends on your weight and height. For safety reasons, you must be at least 110 lbs. For folks planning to donate 2 units at a time, men need to be at least 5′1″ and weigh 130 lbs., and women need to be 5′5″ or taller and weigh at least 150 lbs.

🩺 Different medical conditions can affect your eligibility. Check for restrictions, here. Allergies, asthma, high or low blood pressure, cancer, chronic illnesses, heart disease, and diabetes do not immediately disqualify you from becoming a donor.

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ men continue to face restrictions when donating blood because eligibility depends on remaining celibate for more than 3 months. Before 2020, the waiting time was a minimum of a year.

🧪 People taking antibiotics need to wait until finishing their treatment before becoming a donor. If the last pill of your medication was taken on the day you planned to donate, you still qualify. If the antibiotics were being injected, wait 10 days after the last shot.

✈️If you visited a country where the risk of Malaria is high, you must wait 3 months to donate. People diagnosed with Zika, must wait 120 days after symptoms fully end to donate. People who have ever had Ebola can’t become blood donors.

😷 COVID-19: It’s recommended that you know the name of your vaccine manufacturer.

✋ People who have syphilis or gonorrhea, those on oral HIV preventative medication, those who recently got a tattoo or a piercing (done with a reusable gun), using IV drugs not prescribed by a physician, and recently received an organ transplant or a blood transfusion, must wait 3 months to donate.

💊 Medication usually doesn’t disqualify you from donating. Folks taking aspirin, birth control, and insulin are in the clear. For other medications check the waiting periods.

For a regular donation, wait 8 weeks before donating blood again. But, if you donated two units of red blood cells, wait at least 16 weeks.