1) March is Red Cross Month and donating blood can save up to three lives as one donation is used for multiple recipients. 2) Donating blood only takes about an hour and involves a health check, the donation process, and post-donation snacks. 3) The article encourages people to donate blood and lists tips for a safe donation, and also discusses volunteering opportunities for those unable to donate blood.

1. Friday, March 16, 2012 Town Times 7
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March is Red Cross Month
By Michelle P. Carter
Special to the Town Times
You’ve heard it before —
every two seconds, someone in
this country needs blood. But
did you know that one blood
donation can save up to three
lives? Or that you can give
blood every eight weeks? Or
that O and negative blood
types are in the highest de-
mand? Or that we have blood
drives every month right here
in Durham and Middlefield at
our local churches and busi-
nesses?
Many people are hesitant to
give blood because they are
unfamiliar with or misunder-
stand the process. A lot of that
fear can be eliminated by sim-
ply learning more about it. Do-
nating blood only takes about
an hour of your time and in-
volves just three simple steps:
a health history check to make
sure you are healthy and able
to give blood; the donation
process itself; and a canteen
table where you can enjoy
snacks and beverages to re-
plenish your energy and as a
“thank you” for donating. If
you are planning to give blood,
here are some helpful tips:
1. Get a full eight hours of
sleep the night before you do-
nate. You should come into
your appointment feeling
healthy and well, and a good
night’s sleep is a good start.
2. Drink lots of non-alco-
holic fluids both before and af-
ter donating. Drinking water
helps your red blood cells flow
easier and bring oxygen to the
rest of your body. Since your
body will be depleted of some
of your red blood cell stores, it
is important to give the rest a
boost.
3. Eat foods that are rich in
iron. You must meet certain
hemoglobin requirements to
give blood, for the safety of the
recipient(s) of your blood as
well as your own. Red meats
and leafy-green vegetables are
the best source of iron, as well
as fish, poultry, beans and
raisins. It is a good idea to eat
these foods for several days be-
fore your donation, but be sure
to have a healthy meal on the
day of your donation as well.
4. Wear short sleeves for
easy site access and loose
clothing. Overheating your
body may cause dizziness, so
it’s important to stay cool.
5. If you are nervous about
donating, bring a friend — ei-
ther an experienced donor or
someone who is new just like
you! Having a buddy will make
the process easier and a lot less
scary.
If you are unable to give
blood but would still like to of-
fer your services, volunteers
are always needed at blood
drives. You may welcome
donors as they arrive and sign
them in, or you might sit with
donors at canteen after they
have given blood and provide
them with snacks, beverages
and good company.
Sharon Criscuolo, a
Durham resident and frequent
blood drive volunteer, finds a
lot of fulfillment in giving her
time to the American Red
Cross. “They’re really hard
workers,” she marvels. “I’m
amazed at how they do it all.”
Even if you have never done it
before or know nothing about
blood drives, the tasks are sim-
ple and easy to pick up. “Any-
one can do it,” Criscuolo says.
“And we always need more
volunteers.”
Town Times’ own Joy
Boone is a marathon donor
herself and is up to more than
14 gallons in lifetime units
(that’s over 112 donations!).
With a rare type of blood, she
feels good to know that she is
“giving life to people who
would otherwise not survive. I
could encourage anyone who
is health to just give it a try,”
she continues, “and if it’s
something they don’t like, they
don’t have to do it again, but
the biggest step is the first do-
nation.”
And if blood drives don’t do
it for you, there are plenty of
other volunteer opportunities
with the ARC. You might
make calls to potential donors,
manage and coordinate their
mailing or even aid in disaster
relief (for which you would
complete training, of course).
For more information on vol-
unteer opportunities, visit red-
crossblood.org/volunteer or
call 1 (800) RED-CROSS.
Middlefield Federated
Church (402 Main St.) is hold-
ing a blood drive Thursday,
March 22, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Potential donors are encour-
aged to pre-register to ensure
quick and efficient processing,
but walk-ins are also accepted.
To make an appointment, visit
redcrossblood.org/make-dona-
tion and use sponsor code 322
(or zip 06455) or call 1 (800)
RED-CROSS. Bring your blood
donor card or any other form
of positive ID.
And just for fun, as March is
Red Cross Month, the ARC
would like to invite their
donors, volunteers and friends
to share personal anecdotes
about their experiences with
saving or changing lives
through the ARC. If you have
had a memorable experience
you would like to share, visit
redcross.org/story to tell your
story or submit pictures
and/or videos that relate to
your experience. And if you
don’t have a personal story
about changing a life, it’s not
too late to start writing one.
Additional information from
www.freedrinkingwater.com
and www.redcross.org.