Hi! My name is Brad Warren, and I’m a volunteer with the Red Cross here in Alameda County, California. Technically, I’m called a Blood Services Community Outreach Specialist, which is a fancy title that means I give free talks to the public on the urgent need for more blood donors. I’m also a Public Affairs spokesperson, as well as trained to be a Disaster Cycle Services shelter worker to deploy wherever I might be needed to help staff a shelter in times of an emergency, such as a flood, earthquake, fire, etc. But today I want to focus on why and how to become a donor, because “Ve Vant Your Blood!”

Before I go any further, let me briefly explain how I became a volunteer.  I’m a former business coach, speaker and trainer, and after a 40+ year career, I semi-retired and found myself with a lot of time on my hands. So, I called my local Red Cross office and said I wanted to volunteer, and that my best skill was as a public speaker. And guess what?  They told me there wasn’t any such position available! Well, being a rather assertive person (just ask my wife), I asked to speak to someone further up the corporate ladder. To make a very long story very short, two weeks later they called me back. They said, “Brad, we’ve created a new position just for you called a Community Outreach Specialist” and so began my volunteer work doing speaking engagements with the express purpose of getting more people to roll up their sleeves and donate.

One of the main reasons why we need more donors is because every two seconds here in America, someone needs blood for a number of reasons, e.g., mothers giving birth, accident victims, treatments for cancer or leukemia, open heart surgery, sickle cell treatments, etc. And unfortunately, the need for blood is constant, as it only has a short shelf life and must constantly be replenished in our blood banks. With vacation schedules, natural disasters preventing previously scheduled blood drives from taking place and former donors not returning to donate, the need for new donors is constant. And one thing I discovered in my research for giving my talks is the #1 reason why people don’t donate is because they’ve never been asked! So, I’m asking you now, PLEASE BECOME A BLOOD DONOR!

So that’s the why, and here’s the how: go to redcrossblood.org where you’ll be able to put in your local zip code and find a blood drive or blood donation center near you. In addition to walk ins, you can schedule a specific time slot to donate, which is what I recommend (it saves you a lot of time, believe me). Having donated over 120 times (I recently received my 15-gallon pin) I always schedule my appointments in advance. After I’ve donated, I immediately schedule my next appointment, which must be at least 8 weeks out.

The entire process takes no more than an hour and afterwards comes my favorite part: free food! I get to sit in the canteen, sip on some fruit punch or orange juice, eat mini Oreos or chocolate chip cookies or trail mix, and if the timing is right, many times I’ve gotten a free gift, such as a T-shirt (I have over 15), a beach towel, socks with the Red Cross logo, gift cards, and most recently, a free ticket into the Alameda County Fair. But the main reason I donate is because I know my blood can save up to 3 lives, and that makes me feel really good.

So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I hope I’ve inspired you to become a donor and contribute your blood to help save lives. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and especially if you know of any community organizations that need a speaker on this topic. You can reach me at brad@bradwarren.com. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time and consideration. Take care.