By Isis Chaverri, Regional Communications Director, American Red Cross Indiana Region—
INDIANA — The American Red Cross is declaring an emergency blood shortage as the blood supply fell nearly 25% in June. Blood donors are urgently needed to give now to help ensure patients receive lifesaving medical care without delay. The shortage is especially serious for platelets and types O positive and B negative blood.
A steep decline in blood donations since the end of May has created a growing gap between supply and patient need. Currently, Red Cross distributions to hospitals are nearly 3,500 units higher per week than expected at a time when hospitals often see higher demand for blood products during the height of trauma season. On top of that, busy schedules and the seasonal loss of school blood drives are driving the decline which could put patient care at risk if not reversed.
The most important way to help end the blood shortage is to book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you, all who come to give July 13-31, 2026, will receive a Fandango Movie Ticket by email (up to $15 ticket price and fees). Additional details can be found at RedCrossBlood.org/July.
Blood supply misconceptions
Every donation is critical to rebuilding the nation’s blood supply, yet many people may not realize the significant impact a single donation can have on patients in need. A recent Red Cross survey revealed a significant gap between public perception and the reality of the nation’s blood supply:
- Less than 1 in 5 respondents understood that blood cannot be stockpiled because it has a limited shelf life and must be continually replenished through volunteer donors.
- Only about half believed it was very likely that they or someone close to them would need blood one day — even though someone in the U.S. receives a blood transfusion every two seconds.
“A readily available blood supply serves as the backbone of modern medicine. Without it, lifesaving treatments and critical access points to care are not possible,” said Dr. Courtney Lawrence, medical director for the Red Cross. “Emergency departments, operating rooms, and labor and delivery units can’t support patients with the most urgent needs, and cancer patients must wait. We’re asking donors to give now before doctors are forced to make those difficult decisions.”
Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 13-31:
Bartholomew County
Columbus
7/21/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., New Hope Christian Church, 1404 400 N
7/24/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., First United Methodist Church Columbus, 618 8th Street
7/27/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., The Sanctuary of Columbus, 3939 Central Ave
Hope
7/20/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Hope Moravian Church, 202 Main Street 2026-APL-0472
Brown County
Nashville
7/17/2026: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Brown County YMCA, 105 Willow Street
Delaware County
Muncie
7/28/2026: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Delaware County Fairgrounds, 1210 N. Wheeling Ave.
Hamilton County
Fishers
7/13/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Heartland Church, 14900 126th St
7/16/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., IU Health Fishers – Medical Office Building, 13100 East 136th Street
7/21/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Launch Fishers, 12175 Visionary Way
Noblesville
7/14/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/15/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/16/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/18/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/21/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/22/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/23/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/25/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/28/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/29/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
7/30/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Noblesville IN Blood Donation Center, 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 700
Westfield
7/22/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Harmony Neighborhood, 1414 W 151st Street
Zionsville
7/23/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Security Federal Savings Bank, 10880 N Michigan Rd
Hancock County
Greenfield
7/27/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Hancock County Fairgrounds, 620 Apple St.
Hendricks County
Brownsburg
7/15/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Connection Pointe Christian Church, 1800 North Green Street
7/28/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Arbuckle Acres-Bundy Lodge, 7024 Lucas Drive
Clayton
7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Clayton Liberty Township Public Library, 5199 Iowa Street
Henry County
Middletown
7/19/2026: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Middletown Church of the Nazarene, 698 N Fifth Street
Jennings County
North Vernon
7/16/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saint Vincent Jennings Hospital, 301 Henry Street
Johnson County
Bargersville
7/15/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Town of Bargersville, 24 N Main St 2026-APL-0472
Greenwood
7/25/2026: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Greenwood Memorial VFW, 1842 Veterans Way
7/29/2026: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Johnson County Library White River Branch, 1664 Library Blvd.
Trafalgar
7/13/2026: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Johnson County Public Library, 424 S. Tower Street
Whiteland
7/27/2026: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Johnson County Public Library Clark Pleasant Branch, 350 Clearwater Blvd
Lawrence County
Bedford
7/20/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Hillcrest Christian Church, 1130 Hillcrest Road
7/21/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Mt. Pleasant Christian Church, 2394 Mt Pleasant Rd
Oolitic
7/13/2026: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., Oolitic Trinity Pentecostal Church, 231 Lafayette Ave
Madison County
Anderson
7/13/2026: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Park Place Church of God, 501 College Drive
7/24/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hoosier Park, 4500 Dan Patch Circle
Elwood
7/29/2026: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., East Main Street Christian Church, 1801 Main St
Pendleton
7/22/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., American Legion Post 117, 611 W State St
Marion County
Beech Grove
7/23/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Hornet Park Community Center, 5245 Hornet Avenue
Indianapolis
7/13/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/15/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sheraton Indianapolis, 8787 Keystone Crossing
7/16/2026: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., JTV Hill Community Center, 1806 Columbia Ave
7/16/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
7/17/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., The Columbia Club, 121 Monument Cir
7/17/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/18/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 1040 N Post Road
7/19/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/20/2026: 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Meridian Street UMC, 5500 North Meridian Street
7/20/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/21/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., University Hospital and IU School of Medicine, 550 University Blvd
7/21/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/22/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Amazon IND-8, 7760 W Morris St
7/23/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
7/23/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Zion Education Building, 8916 E.Troy Ave.
7/24/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/26/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/27/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., IU Health Methodist Hospital, 1800 N Capitol
7/27/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
7/28/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Jordan YMCA, 8400 Westfield Blvd
7/28/2026: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St 2026-APL-0472
7/29/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
7/31/2026: 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Indianapolis IN Blood Donation Center, 1510 N Meridian St
Monroe County
Bloomington
7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, 2700 E. Rogers Road
7/17/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Ivy Tech Community College, 200 Daniels Way
7/21/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Ivy Tech Community College, 200 Daniels Way
7/22/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Trinity Reformed Church, 2401 S Endwright Rd
7/29/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Ivy Tech Community College, 200 Daniels Way
Morgan County
Martinsville
7/14/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Hoosier Harvest Church, 4085 Leonard Rd
Mooresville
7/15/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Creative Foam, 3304 Hancel Cir
Shelby County
Shelbyville
7/26/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., American Legion Post 70, 1125 Miller Ave
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org.
The post Blood Donors Needed Now to Stop Alarming Drop in Red Cross Blood Supply appeared first on Muncie Journal.
