Also ripped from https://www.reddit.com/r/Blooddonors/wiki/index/non-donor-volunteer/, albeit with a few updates from me. Props to u/Yay_Blood for caring enough to put all this stuff together in the first place!
Non-Donor Ways to Get Involved
Host a blood drive
Even if you are too young to donate, or can’t for other reasons, you can inspire others to donate! Reach out to your local center to learn about hosting a blood drive in your school, work, or community.
American Red Cross blood drive info
Work at a blood drive or volunteer at a blood center
Contact your local center to see if you have help at a blood drive, or assist at the center. You may check donors in, screen for COVID-19 symptoms, or pass out post-donation snacks.
Be a volunteer driver
Some centers rely on volunteers to transport blood between centers, hospitals, and processing centers. This usually requires training.
Be a blood donation recruiter
Recruit and inspire others to donate! Share your story or blood donation facts to get the word out.
Make it a career
Blood donations are taken by phlebotomists. You can become a phlebotomist in the U.S. by completing high school (or a GED), going through a phlebotomy program, and getting certified.
Indeed article on how to become a phlebotomist
Advocate to Remove MSM Deferrals and Bans
Many countries have long deferral periods or bans keeping men who have sex with men from donating blood. There are many organizations working to remove these rules. Progress has been made, including in the United States of America and Canada. There is still more work to be done. If you have any resources on organizations still working towards this, let me know!
There are seemingly fewer resources on MSM deferrals and bans than on the Reddit guide because when I tried to follow the links, they were all dead for me. I looked into replacing each dead link:
- Blood is Blood, dead link: https://bloodisblood.org/. Looked into it, seems to be for action in the United States of America and no longer seems active. (I looked up
"blood is blood" activismif you want to look yourself—after all, I could have missed something! Helped me avoid irrelevant results like stuff about the horror film of the same name.) - GLAAD’s Ban the Ban, dead link: https://www.glaad.org/amp/ban-ban-argument-against-12-month-blood-donation-deferral-men-who-have-sex-men.
- ADVANCE Study with the FDA, dead link: https://advancestudy.org/ Since that link is broken, you might want to look here instead. They have a useful link to the study here. Found another summary of the study here.
As far as I know, I need to look more later (need to go do something right now), activism over blood donation restrictions in the United States of America seems to have died down in accordance with the changes: “If monogamous and no new partners in the last three months, all prospective donors, including gay and bi men, would be considered eligible to donate with no deferral period.” Not too sure about other countries, but the dead links I was looking to replace were focused on the United States of America. If you have any information about activism for this in countries outside of the United States of America, let me know!
- Blood is Blood, dead link: https://bloodisblood.org/. Looked into it, seems to be for action in the United States of America and no longer seems active. (I looked up