CHICAGO — Amid a growing blood shortage nationally, the primary because the pandemic, the Red Cross is looking for help from locals across the Chicago area.

The Guild Social Row Club on town’s Northside goals to assist the method.

Every two seconds, someone within the U.S. needs blood. Blood donor Kara Crawford on Tuesday said she hopes to do her part.

“That is my second time. I wanted to examine out the space, it’s near my house and I keep hearing concerning the need, so I believed I’d come,” she said.

Crawford is one among dozens of donors who answered the decision for help. Why? Currently, there’s a 30,000 blood unit shortage. Blood is broken down into types, with O being probably the most common. O-negative is taken into account the universal donor, meaning anyone can receive that kind of blood.

Donated blood is separated into plasma, red and white blood cells, platelets, antibodies, and other components.

The Red Cross supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood needs.

Around 7 million Americans annually give blood, but that is simply about 3% of the eligible population.

With the Chicago Chapter of the Red Cross, Joy Squier said that you just never know when someone will need blood.

“Cancer patients use roughly 50% of the blood donated,” Squier said. “If you could have a chronic condition like sickle cell, blood donation could be very essential. Accident victims – an accident could use 100 units of blood straight away. You never know. Transplant surgery patients. There are such a lot of the explanation why people need blood and also you never know when it’s going to be someone you already know or yourself impacted.”