The American Red Cross is proud to partner with Northwestern Medicine to host an upcoming community blood drive at the newly opened Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center in Chicago’s 4th Ward.

The Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Blood Drive will take place:

Monday, March 30, 2026
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
4822 S Cottage Grove Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60615

This collaboration marks the first of many planned blood drives at the new facility and will kick off with a special inauguration event alongside local leadership, including Alderman Lamont Robinson. The event will highlight the urgent need for a more diverse blood donor base to help ensure all patients have access to compatible blood when they need it most.

“Partnerships like this help strengthen and expand our lifesaving blood mission,” said Tammy Winchester, Emerging Markets Manager for the American Red Cross of Illinois. “By hosting blood drives in trusted community spaces like the Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center, we’re making it easier for people to give and helping build a more diverse blood supply that can save more lives.”

Donated blood is essential for patients undergoing surgery, cancer treatment, organ transplants, trauma care, and those living with chronic illnesses such as sickle cell disease — conditions that often require closely matched blood types.

“The Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center was designed to serve and uplift this community, and this blood drive is another meaningful way we can do that,” said Kimbra Bell, MD, director of the Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center. “When community members come together to donate blood, they are quite literally helping save lives — whether it’s a neighbor undergoing surgery, a child with sickle cell disease, or a trauma patient in urgent need. We encourage everyone who is able to donate to join us and be part of something that makes a real and lasting impact.”

“This new outpatient center was created to expand access to quality care in our community,” said Alderman Robinson. “Hosting blood drives here is a natural extension of that mission. I encourage residents of the 4th Ward and beyond to step forward, donate blood, and be part of something that helps save lives in our neighborhoods.”

As a thank-you for helping save lives, successful donations will receive free A1C testing, commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes, in March (one result per calendar year). All who come to give blood, platelets or plasma March 1-31, 2026, will also receive a $15 Amazon Gift Card by email. See RedCrossBlood.org/March for details. 

How to register to donate blood:

Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org and use sponsor code NMBRONZEVILLE, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment. Donors must bring a blood donor card, driver’s license, or two other forms of identification. Eligibility generally requires being at least 17 (16 with parental consent), weighing at least 110 pounds, and being in good health.

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 or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

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