Blood Drive Held In Mendham Area Following Major Shortage

MENDHAM, NJ — Mendham-area residents will have a chance to donate blood next month as blood centers continue working to replenish supplies following a severe summer shortage across New Jersey and New York.

The Mendham Community and Brookside Community Club will host an American Red Cross blood drive on Sept. 17, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Brookside Community Club, located at 1 East Main Street in Brookside.

The drive comes after the region experienced an "unprecedented" blood shortage earlier this summer, when supplies fell to their lowest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Severe storms around the Fourth of July resulted in about 3,000 fewer blood donations than anticipated across the region, according to the New York Blood Center. At the time, the region was left with only about a two-day supply of blood, compared with the five- to seven-day supply generally considered ideal.

Power outages, intense heat and storm-related disruptions temporarily closed or affected several donor centers. The shortage marked the first time the New York Blood Center had declared two critical blood shortages in the same summer, following another shortage around Memorial Day.

Type O-negative blood was particularly scarce, falling to less than half a day's supply when the July emergency was announced.

The shortage has not been limited to the region. By late July, the American Red Cross declared a national blood supply crisis, saying donations had fallen to a four-year summer low. At that point, the organization had less than a one-day national supply of type O-positive blood.

At the Mendham drive, eligible donors with type O, B-negative or A-negative blood are encouraged to consider making a Power Red donation, which collects two units of red blood cells while returning other blood components to the donor.

The drive is also part of a special American Red Cross collaboration with Hello Kitty and Friends. Those who donate blood between Sept. 1 and Sept. 20 can receive an exclusive Red Cross x Hello Kitty collectible item while supplies last.

Appointments for the Mendham drive can be scheduled by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering the sponsor code TheMendhams, or using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

Donors can also complete a RapidPass pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire on the day of their appointment to help reduce the amount of time spent at the drive.