This is the time of year that donations stop flowing in and supplies drop to emergency levels, which means The American Red Cross needs your blood.

The Red Cross has half of their normal reserve because people go on vacations and high schools or universities stop hosting blood drives, KNDO reports.

JayAnn Merkle, of the Red Cross, says the shelf life of a blood product is only 42 days so everyone can donate every 56 days, or six times a year following that schedule.

Everyone able to donate is encouraged to do so with every blood type needed, especially with the high demand of the summer.

The button below links to the Eastern Washington Region for locations to donate with the Red Cross:

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