By William Walsh, American Red Cross

For some businesses, supporting the community can be as simple as giving employees an opportunity to donate blood together.

For Hyundai of Leander, that opportunity began with a customer who lives with a rare blood disorder and relies on blood transfusions. His experience helped the team understand how much blood donors can mean to patients and their families and eventually led the dealership to host its first American Red Cross of Central and South Texas blood drive.

After a strong response to that first drive, the team decided to host another.

For businesses that may be interested in hosting a blood drive but are not sure where to begin, Lori Van Roo of Hyundai of Leander has some simple advice.

“Pick up the phone and call,” Van Roo said. “The Red Cross makes it easy.”

The majority of the planning and coordination is handled by the Red Cross, allowing businesses to focus on communicating with their employees and encouraging people to participate. A business can help spread the word through the communication tools it already uses, including team meetings, email, group chats, social media, and more.

At Hyundai of Leander, the team also reached out to local chambers of commerce to help raise awareness of the drive.

Getting people interested does not always mean having a large campaign. Sometimes it starts with simply making employees aware of the opportunity and giving them time to consider participating.

For businesses that may worry they will not have enough donors, Van Roo recommends giving the drive a chance rather than trying to predict the turnout in advance.

“Still do it,” she said. “I was not expecting a strong turnout, but we did.”

Another lesson from the experience is the importance of staying connected with the Red Cross. Van Roo said businesses should make use of the resources available to them, keep communication open with Red Cross staff and expect that some people may sign up at the last minute.

Having enough space for the blood drive and making sure employees know what to expect are also important parts of preparing for the day.

Small touches can help generate interest, too. Van Roo said Red Cross promotional materials and giveaways helped get people talking about the drive and encouraged participation.

But the value of a workplace blood drive goes beyond getting people out of their offices or work areas for a short time.

For employees who have a spouse, family member or friend who has needed a blood transfusion, the need can feel especially close to home. Van Roo has seen that connection among employees, including a staff member whose family has been affected by chronic anemia.

Those experiences can help make blood donations feel more than abstract community needs. They can remind employees that the person receiving a transfusion could be someone in their own family or local community.

“What surprised me was the amount of lives that can be impacted with one pint or unit of blood,” Van Roo said.

She also appreciates the follow-up information provided by the Red Cross after a blood drive. Seeing the impact of the donations gives employees something tangible to connect to and helps demonstrate what their participation accomplished.

For businesses considering their first blood drive, the process does not have to be complicated. The Red Cross can help with planning and logistics, while the business can focus on creating awareness, encouraging participation and providing an appropriate space for the drive.

The experience can also give employees an opportunity to work together around something that directly benefits people in their community.

For Van Roo, that is one of the most meaningful parts of bringing a blood drive into the workplace.

“It makes a local difference,” she said.

Van Roo hopes other business leaders will consider doing the same.

“We as business leaders have a responsibility to roll up our sleeves and support our local community,” she said. “It makes us all stronger.”

If your business has ever thought about hosting a blood drive, now is a great time to start. Apply to host a blood drive and let the Red Cross of Central and South Texas help make the process simple. Bring your team together, support your local community and help make a lifesaving difference.