Red Cross issues urgent plea to North Texas residents to donate blood amid severe summer shortfall

DALLAS - The American Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage Monday, warning that its national blood supply plummeted by nearly 25% during June.

A call for North Texans to help

The nonprofit organization is urging North Texas residents to book immediate appointments to counter the alarming decline, which has been driven by busy summer travel schedules and the seasonal absence of high school and college blood drives.

According to Red Cross officials, a growing gap has formed between supply and medical demand. The organization is currently distributing approximately 3,500 more units of blood products per week to hospitals than anticipated. The shortfall is happening during the peak of summer trauma season, a period that traditionally sees elevated hospital usage.

The shortage is reported to be especially critical for platelets, as well as type O-positive and type B-negative blood.

Dig deeper:

Red Cross officials highlighted a significant disconnect between public assumptions and the reality of keeping hospitals stocked.

A recent survey conducted by the organization found that fewer than one in five respondents understood that blood products cannot be stockpiled. Because blood has a limited shelf life, the medical supply must be continually replenished through active volunteers.

Furthermore, only about half of the survey respondents believed it was likely that they or a loved one would ever need a transfusion, despite national medical data showing that someone in the U.S. requires blood every two seconds.

Dr. Courtney Lawrence, medical director for the Red Cross, warned that the shortage could soon compromise critical care divisions if donation trends do not reverse.

What they're saying:

"A readily available blood supply serves as the backbone of modern medicine. Without it, lifesaving treatments and critical access points to care are not possible. Emergency departments, operating rooms, and labor and delivery units can't support patients with the most urgent needs, and cancer patients must wait. We’re asking donors to give now before doctors are forced to make those difficult decisions."

What you can do:

Donors can schedule appointments by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or visiting RedCrossBlood.org. As an incentive, all individuals who come out to donate between July 13 and July 31, 2026, will receive a Fandango movie ticket valued up to $15 via email.

Donations are being accepted at permanent regional sites and dozens of mobile community drives through the end of the month:

• Irving Blood and Platelet Donation Center2511 W. Lyndon B. Johnson FreewayMonday and Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Friday through Sunday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Plano Blood and Platelet Donation Center741 N. US-75, Suite 1000Monday and Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Friday through Sunday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

 Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 13-31: 

 Addison

•  7/30/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Fiori on Vitruvian Park, Main Building, 3990 Vitruvian Wy.

 Arlington

•  7/17/2026: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Medical City Arlington, 3201 Matlock Rd.
• 7/24/2026: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Shady Valley Country Club, 4001 W. Park Row Dr.
• 7/30/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., South Arlington YMCA, 7120 S. Cooper St.

Aubrey 

• 7/29/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Providence Village Community Center, 9400 Waterman Dr.

Azle 

• 7/31/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Azle Lions Club, 412 Commerce St.

Bedford 

• 7/23/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Legion Post 379, 1245 N. Industrial Blvd.

Carrollton

• 7/23/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Carrollton Regional Medical Center, 4343 N. Josey Ln.

Cedar Hill

• 7/20/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Morada Cedar Hill, 235 W. Pleasant Run Rd.

Dallas

• 7/13/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., LJA Engineering, Inc., 6060 N. US-75, Ste. 400
• 7/13/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., American Red Cross, 2055 Kendall Dr.
• 7/20/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, 9200 Inwood Rd.
• 7/22/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Dr.
• 7/23/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
• 7/24/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Edgemere, 8523 Thackery St.
• 7/24/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Brookside Village, 14900 Lasater Rd.
• 7/29/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Junior League of Dallas, 8003 Inwood Rd.
• 7/27/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Hyatt Place DFW, 2350 Global Dr.

Denton

• 7/24/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Medical City Denton, 3537 S. I-35 E
• 7/25/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 300 W. Oak St.

Desoto

• 7/24/2026: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., DeSoto Recreation Center, 211 E. Pleasant Run Rd.

Fairview

• 7/25/2026: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 651 E. Stacy Rd.

Flower Mound

• 7/13/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Flower Mound Senior Center, 2701 W. Windsor Dr.
• 7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1901 Timber Creek Rd.

Fort Worth

• 7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., American Red Cross, 6000 Western Pl., Ste. 100
• 7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Finn's Place, 5860 I-20 Service Rd.
• 7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Hulen Mall, 4800 S. Hulen St.
• 7/23/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Heritage Clubhouse, 9536 Courtright Dr.
• 7/23/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Hulen Mall, 4800 S. Hulen St.
• 7/24/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., American Red Cross, 6000 Western Pl., Ste. 100
• 7/29/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Medical City Alliance, 3025 N. Tarrant Pkwy
• 7/31/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 6000 Western Pl., Ste. 100

Frisco

• 7/16/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Medical City Frisco, 5575 Frisco Square Blvd.
• 7/25/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Brookside at Fields, 13800 Nicollet Dr.
• 7/31/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Phillips Creek Ranch, 4515 Lone Star Ranch Pkwy.

Grand Prairie

• 7/15/2026: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Grand Prairie Family YMCA, 4556 S. Carrier Pkwy.

Grapevine

• 7/27/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, 1650 W. College St.
• 7/28/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Grapevine Public Library, 1201 Municipal Wy.

Highland Village

• 7/21/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Highland Shores Community Center, 1 Community Center Rd.

Hurst

• 7/30/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Veritex Bank Building, 860 Airport Fwy.

Little Elm

• 7/15/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Lakeview Clubhouse, 400 Lake Point Dr.

McKinney

• 7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Springhill Suites, 2660 S. US-75
• 7/23/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2150, 1710 N. Church St.
• 7/24/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Baylor Medical Center, 5252 W. University Dr.
• 7/28/2026: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Springhill Suites, 2660 S. US-75

Melissa

• 7/18/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 737 Melissa Rd.

Mesquite

• 7/23/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., St Stephen United Methodist Church, 2520 Oates Dr.

Northlake

• 7/14/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Canyon Falls HOA, 6950 Canyon Falls Dr.

Oak Point

• 7/22/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Wildridge Community Association, 9030 Sunset Ln.

Plano

• 7/18/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., East Plano Islamic Center, 4700 14th St.
• 7/22/2026: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Baylor Scott
•  and White, 1100 Allied Dr.
• 7/27/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Gleneagles Country Club, 5401 W. Park Blvd.

Quinlan

• 7/15/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Ford High School, 10064 TX-34

Red Oak

• 7/20/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., First Baptist Church of Red Oak, 320 E. Ovilla Rd.

Southlake

• 7/21/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Timarron Bent Creek Neighborhood Center, 1240 Bent Creek Dr.

The Colony

• 7/30/2026: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., The Colony City Hall Annex, 6804 Main St.

Tyler

• 7/31/2026: 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., American Red Cross, 320 E. Rieck Rd.

Waxahachie

• 7/15/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., The Hamilton at Garden Valley, 880 Garden Valley Pkwy.
• 7/17/2026: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., The Avenue Church, 1761 N. Hwy 77

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