Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds, according to the American Red Cross. Separate research states that less than 10 percent of the eligible population donates per year.
The American Red Cross released a call to action on Jan. 7, 2024, declaring to have hit an all-time low of U.S. blood donors in the past 20 years, the number falling by 40 percent. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a serious blow to the number of donors, and it is now nowhere near what it was before.
Blood, platelets, and plasma are not synthetic; they are fully dependent on volunteers. Without sufficient blood in hospitals, surgeons and emergency care responders have a challenging time tending to patients that need life-saving treatment.
If a hospital is unable to supply sufficient blood for a patient’s organ transplant, the patient will have to forfeit their spot on the transplant list. Blood donations are also critical for sickle cell disease and cancer treatment.
Donor Recruitment Account Manager at Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Stephanie Cabrera shares that the center serves over 170 hospitals in the area, meaning over 1,000 donations are needed per day to keep up with the demand.
Mobile blood drives from various donation centers are constantly moving around the Downtown Houston area to accommodate the general public’s busy schedules and commuter lifestyles. One center is dedicated to hosting blood drives at the University of Houston-Downtown.
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center specializes in providing blood materials to people within the Gulf Coast community. Its monthly blood drive on campus, including the first month of the Spring 2025 semester, makes it the most accessible blood center for UHD students. They are proven to be beneficial to blood centers and donors alike.
UHD Student Kimberly Leyva states that mobile blood drives are especially convenient for students that do not drive, using public transportation to get to campus.

“Part of why I stopped donating for a while was because there wasn’t anything [blood drives] near me, and I can’t go out of my way to donate,” said Leyva. “I think it creates a lot of convenience for students to donate [on campus].”
With blood drives hosted on campus, donors such as Kimberly are given opportunities to donate blood and save lives in a convenient fashion. GCRBC’s continuing efforts to meet students where they are located encourages students to become repeat donors and eventually be donors for life after graduation.
“It doesn’t cost me anything. I’m not afraid of needles or anything so I try to donate blood when I can,” said Leyva.
Despite a hiccup in Kimberly’s donation, resulting in less than a pint of blood donated, there was still a sense of fulfillment in knowing that the blood would be used to help someone in need.
“Most people don’t really think about donating blood until it starts affecting them,” said Leyva. For me, personally, I’m not going to wait. Ever since high school, I’ve donated every semester.”
If one is uncertain about deciding to donate, whether it sounds scary or they are not sure if they are eligible, let Kimberly’s final statement give encouragement.
“There’s no pressure to it, but if you have the resources and have the time and it doesn’t cost you anything, try it once. If you hated it, that’s okay, but you helped save a life.”
GCRBC is offering a remarkable scholarship opportunity for current donors passionate about donating blood and potential donors interested in learning about its importance.
Every student at UHD qualifies for the Commit for Life Scholarship if they are enrolled in a higher education institution after this Spring semester.

GCRBC offers 43 scholarships, 40 of which are valued at $1,000, two at $5,000, and one at $10,000. To meet the requirements of the $1,000 scholarship, applicants must write a 500-1000-word essay or create a 30-60-second video on one of the following:
- Inspire individuals to save lives as a blood donor
- How to have a successful blood drive
- Encourage diverse donations from young donors after they graduate high school/college
To meet the requirements of the $5,000 and $10,000 scholarships, applicants must be involved with their blood drive team and include a letter of recommendation from their blood drive sponsor in addition to the essay or video. Videos are to be uploaded to YouTube with the hashtag #CFL2025Scholarship in the description.
Visit Commit for Life Scholarship | High School Programs for more info!
All submissions are due on March 16th, 2025.
Ethan • Jan 28, 2025 at 9:00 am
Very good article. The quote about not thinking about blood donations until they are needed stuck with me. I have not donated blood in some time because I just simply haven’t thought about it. I will definitely be on the look out for blood drives in the future.
Zara • Jan 24, 2025 at 9:36 pm
Such a wonderful article! It’s amazing how this is not only providing an opportunity for students to give back through blood donations but also support their educational journey with scholarships. The combination of saving others’ lives while helping students pursue their education goals is truly something special. Awesome job for highlighting this initiative!