Give a little of yourself this summer The summer months are a great time to get involved with the American Red Cross. By giving a little of yourself this summer you can help Meet the Need: Ensure patients get the blood and platelets they need, victims of house fires and natural disasters are taken care of, and your family and community are ready with lifesaving CPR and First-Aid skills. Visit givebloodgivelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to learn how you can Meet the Need this summer. Your blood is needed more than you think Do you know how much blood may be needed by patients? Find out by clicking here. One-one-thousand, two-one-thousand: A patient just needed blood. Every 2 seconds a patient in the United States needs a blood transfusion. That's nearly 5 million patients a year family, friends and neighbors. But did you know that the average blood donor gives less than two times a year? Depending on your donation method, you may be able to help more patients. Click here to learn about the eligibility parameters for whole blood, platelet and double red cell donations. If every eligible donor gave two times or more there would not be a blood shortage. During the summer months, when blood donations can drop while the need remains constant, it's especially important to give blood and help Meet the Need. Every blood donation counts! Seven-year-old Max Nania began cooking before he turned three-years-old. His Super Hero Salad recipe (right) was created to help boost iron levels for American Red Cross blood donors. Click here for more information on hemoglobin and iron. Healthy eating can lead to a healthy hemoglobin level too Having a healthy hemoglobin level in your blood is a key factor when determining donor eligibility. Hemoglobin is a protein carried by the red blood cells that contains iron. A blood donor must have a hemoglobin level above a specific measure to donate blood for another person. By changing your diet to include more high-iron foods and avoiding substances that reduce iron absorption, you can improve your iron level and therefore improve your hemoglobin.