The American Red Cross, Serving Muskegon, Oceana and Newaygo Counties is dedicated to supplying the community with a safe and reliable blood supply for anyone who needs it. Blood is collected from volunteer donors each week at the Chapter office and at mobile sites throughout the community. At these blood drives, volunteers, paid staff and nurses work together to collect as much blood as possible from new and loyal donors in the community.

Each pint of blood collected undergoes rigorous FDA regulated testing that assures a safe blood supply. The collected blood is used during major surgeries, kidney dialysis, and cancer treatments, as well as emergency situations such as car accidents, bleeding ulcers, and severely burned victims. Each pint of blood can save up to four lives.

When blood is collected through blood drives, it is then transported to the Great Lakes Regional Blood Services Headquarters located in Lansing, MI. The blood is then separated into different components suitable for transfusion. These components are plasma, platelets, and red blood cells. Samples from blood are then tested at the national testing lab in Detroit, MI. After the blood is tested and prepared for transfusion, it is distributed to one of the Great Lakes Regional Distribution Centers. Our Chapter proudly serves as one of four distribution centers for the Great Lakes Regional Blood Services.

Even though Blood Services main focus is blood collection, we also do bone marrow testing. At Bone Marrow Drives, individuals are tested, and their names are placed on a bone marrow national registry. From this registry, individuals who have been tested can be contacted if an incident ever occurs where someone needs a bone marrow transplant and the tested individual is a match.

Click here to find out how you can donate blood in Muskegon!

Learn more about blood and blood donations on our National Red Cross Blood Website