Most Canadians are polite. They don’t like to go where they’re not asked. Unless they receive an invitation, they usually don’t attend.
Canadians are being asked now however, directly, to book an appointment at blood.ca, and to come into a clinic and give blood.
In Delta, there are 368 appointments available from now until the end of August. Those are outstanding invitations where people are being asked to book online and then come in and donate.
You can also drop into several local clinics this summer on July 17 and Aug. 14 at the Ladner Community Centre, on Aug. 19 at South Delta Secondary and the Baitur Rahman Mosque in North Delta on Aug. 12.
According to Canadian Blood Services, almost half of the people in a recent survey they conducted said they didn’t donate – because they were waiting to be asked.
This week is National Blood Donor Week and to mark the occasion, more than 60 landmarks across Canada will be lit red in the Shine a Light Campaign to remind people that blood and plasma are needed daily.
Mayors are also invited to join in the mayoral challenge and Delta Mayor George Harvie will be posting about the week on social media.
Craig Nielsen, community development manager in Vancouver, said many people think that someone else is donating.
“Well, nobody else is stepping up and taking care of it, so we need everyone that’s eligible to come to donate,” he said.
The need goes on all year for the vital commodity that can only be stored 42 days.
“Like a carton of milk in your fridge, it will expire and need to be replaced,” Nielsen said.
He said that major events such as weather, forest fires and natural disasters are affecting indirectly the number of people who show up at clinics, but the largest factor continuing to affect donations is the lingering effect of the pandemic.
“Over the course of the pandemic, donor behaviour has changed. We are seeing fewer people coming out and donating regularly,” said Nielsen.
During the pandemic, many people just got used to staying home or working from home, which means they just don’t get out as much.
According to Canadian Blood Services, more than 150,000 appointments across Canada need to be filled this summer.
“Everyone is welcome there. A great community thing,” said Nielsen.
