Blood donors are needed at the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks ahead of the holidays and winter.
Types A negative and O negative are especially needed now, according to CBCO Spokesperson Michelle Teter. She said O negative is the universal blood type, which is why it tends to be in short supply compared to other types.
"If you and I were traveling on I-44 and got in a severe car accident, and the ambulance pulls up and we need blood, they're going to automatically give us O negative. They don't have time to type and match us," she said. "Then, when we get to the hospital, they will type and match us and start giving us our appropriate blood type, so that's one reason that we see O negative dip a lot."
But Teter said all blood types are needed now as winter nears because blood donations tend to drop in the colder months. She hopes this season of giving will bring in people who want to make a difference.
"People are looking at ways — 'how can I give back? How can I, you know, do something for somebody else?' because they have the heart for it," she said. "So I'd just say just make a little time to kind of put it into your pre-holiday plans."
She said donating blood takes only about an hour, and it can save a life. There are donor centers in Springfield and Joplin, MO and in Springdale and Bentonville, AR. There are also mobile blood drives around the Ozarks.
If you give in December, the CBCO will give you a plaid fleece blanket while supplies last.
Find out if you're eligible to give, where blood drives are being held, how to make an appointment and more at cbco.org.