WEST POINT — Due to a variety of factors including Hurricane Florence and highway accidents because of increased travel this time of year, there’s a critical need for donated blood right now. On Monday, the LifeSouth bloodmobile was outside the CharterBank corporate office accepting donations.

“There is a critical need for all types right now,” Robert Jenkins, LifeSouth’s donor recruiter, told The Valley Times-News Monday afternoon. “We had a big spike in accidents in July, and we’re recovering from that. Supplies tend to dwindle when we have storms like Hurricane Florence.”

“The American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give blood to help maintain a blood supply as diverse as the patients who depend on lifesaving transfusions,” said Ronnika McFall, external communications manager for the American Red Cross. “While most blood types fall into one of the major ABO groups, for a portion of the population, finding someone with the same blood type can be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.”

Monday’s blood drive at CharterBank was the first of four opportunities to donate this month in the Valley area. On Friday, Sept. 21, the bloodmobile will be at Interface in West Point from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 23. the bloodmobile will be at Kroger in Lanett from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. EDT, and on Thursday, Sept. 27 it will be at Lanett High from 7:30 a.m. till 2 p.m. EDT.

The bloodmobile was scheduled to be at Valley High on Thursday, Sept. 20, but that visit has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 8 a.m. till 2 p.m. EDT.

“We are open to the public,” said Jenkins. “We welcome anyone who comes to donate. This is a time of year we need to urge people to come out and donate. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the big times of the year for us. People are in a giving mood and turn out in good numbers when we’re accepting blood. Other times of the year, you have to ask people to donate.”