ORONO, Maine — The American Red Cross said they are facing an emergency blood shortage after inventory dropped by more than 25 percent since July 1.
Now they are looking to community blood drives to help address the nationwide shortage with students at the University of Maine in Orono stepping up to help.
"I started giving blood back when I was in high school," Dominic Brunner said.
Brunner, who is now a sophomore at the UMaine, makes it his mission to donate whenever he can.
"It's going to a very good cause, definitely. If people need blood and there's not enough for them, then that's a life that could have been saved,” Brunner said.
Every year, UMaine hosts four blood drives for the American Red Cross.
"Reaching out to the young donors because that's where we meet them first," Jackie Gershman-Mannocchi, the greater Bangor account manager for the Red Cross, said.
According to the organization, high school and college students provide about 20 percent of blood donations.
That's why campus blood drives are vital to addressing the blood shortage both now and in the future.
"We have sort of a captive audience of students here at the university and we are so grateful to see them and have them giving blood as often as they can," Caroline King, the executive director at Red Cross for northern and eastern Maine, said.
She attributes the current shortage to this summer's heat keeping potential donors away from blood drives. But she says with donations from the community things are looking hopeful.
"When we ask, people really come out and give blood when we ask," King said.
Leaders at the organization are encouraging students and everyone else to make donating blood a part of their routine—something they say will help save lives.
"It's important because if you felt like you didn't do anything that day and you donated blood, you did something that day," Gershman-Mannocchi said.
You can donate blood by finding a blood drive at a location near you or by setting up an appointment online.