A blood donor at Virginia Blood Services (VBS) is a special kind of volunteer. By committing about an hour of your time, you can donate a gift more precious than time or money: the gift of life through blood. One donation of blood can help save up to three patients' lives.

VBS provides blood services to hospitals and dialysis centers throughout central Virginia and beyond. We are fortunate to live in a region where sophisticated medical facilities and transplant programs are available; however, these programs require many blood donations.

Where can I donate?

Blood is collected at thousands of blood drives held each year at schools, businesses, churches and civic organizations. You can donate at a blood drive or at one of our donor centers. You can donate whole blood every eight weeks, with each donation taking about an hour.

Find a blood drive near you.

Are there different kinds of donations?

If you qualify, you may also make the equivalent of two donations of red cells at one sitting through a process called Automated Blood Collection (ABC). You will need to wait longer between your donations, but it might be more convenient for you to donate twice as much less frequently. If you have type O or B blood, we encourage you to select this option.

You can also donate platelets through ABC. This type of donation takes about two hours. If you have types A and AB blood, we encourage you to consider this option.

Doctors at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center often ask for blood from sickle negative African-Americans for their African-American patients with sickle cell disease, because it provides the best possible match. Many times, that blood is not available. If you are an African-American with sickle negative blood, your donation can help a patient with sickle cell disease.

Have you signed up?

Committed, regular blood donors are needed…

Virginia Blood Services supplies lifesaving blood to hospital patients in Richmond, Charlottesville, Farmville, Fishersville, Emporia, Harrisonburg, Hopewell, South Hill, and the Staunton/Waynesboro area. Every day, the sophisticated medical facilities in these communities perform miraculous procedures that require a safe and adequate blood supply. And because there is no substitute for blood, Virginia Blood Services depends on responsible and committed donors in our communities to help patients.

Committed, regular blood donors are the backbone of every community blood program. Virginia Blood Services asks you to register for VBS Donor Rewards and take pride in helping maintain a reliable blood supply year round.