Local Red Cross services change effective immediately

“These changes will not affect the availability and timely distribution of blood and blood products to our hospital partners and patients,” said Dawn Johnson the interim regional communications director for the Red Cross Cascades Division. “Nor will it affect our disaster preparedness and response activities, services to military members, veterans and their families, and health and safety training.”

The building on Alameda Avenue will remain a Red Cross location and provide the aforementioned services, but its daily bio-medical services will be discontinued.

"Our bio-medical services aren't being discontinued but, rather, cut back from daily blood drives. Blood drives will still be held at the Roseburg office," said Johnson.

“I went in yesterday to donate blood at the Red Cross site here in Roseburg,” said long-time donor Beverly Jensen said in an email to The News-Review on Tuesday. “I was shocked to learn that they are closing down the site as of this Friday.”

The next scheduled blood drive is Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. People wanting to donate can still schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org

“Roseburg has had a donation site for many years,” said Jensen. “I think the community should have been notified, had I not been donating blood and overheard employees talking about it, I would not have known the site was closing.”

Changes will also be coming to Coos County and mobile blood drives will be available on a regular schedule.

“We will still be doing drives in both counties,” said Angel Montes, the regional director of donor services for the Red Cross, “and there was no hired staff in Coos County so the changes should not be very impactful.”