NEW YORK (PIX11) — Experiencing its second unprecedented blood emergency of the summer, the New York Blood Center has brought its appeal for donors to where the people are: Grand Central Terminal.
More than 700,000 people a day pass through the terminal’s main concourse. With hopes of luring some of them into the remote blood bank, the New York Blood Center, in partnership with MTA Metro-North Railroad, took occupancy in Vanderbilt Hall for the day.
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Employees of the railroad, commuters, and tourists lined up to give the gift of life, donating blood to help replenish the region’s blood supply. Levels this summer are the lowest since the COVID pandemic.
Javier Jimenez of the New York Blood Center pointed out, “With a lot of people taking vacation time, donations have taken a downturn, and we are in dire need of O negative and O positive blood types, but all blood types are needed.”
“It’s a good cause; it might save somebody’s life”
Cynthia Bonano said, “It’s a good cause, and it might save somebody’s life.” This is the third time she is offering her blood. “I’m doing it so somebody can live, that’s all.”
David Neuman felt good about donating his blood “It’s my way of giving back to those who needed it, and for myself it keeps my body young.”
Paula Torres was thinking of her native Colombia and its recent earthquake. “I wanted to help out my community. I was recently impacted by the earthquake in Colombia, and this is my way of giving back to the people.”
My cameraman, Tony Mazza, was so inspired by what he s that he decided he t, too, wanted to be a blood donor.
They tell us that one blood donation can save up to 3 lives.
There’s such a desperate need for blood; the blood center is holding 30 drives each day in the tri-state area.
You can check out these locations provided to us by the New York Blood Center.
Brooklyn
August 19, 2026: Brooklyn Donor Center, 30 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
August 19, 2026: 71st Precinct – BUS, 421 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY, 11225 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
August 20, 2026: Brooklyn Donor Center, 30 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217 from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
August 21, 2026: Brooklyn Donor Center, 30 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
August 22, 2026: Brooklyn Donor Center, 30 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
August 23, 2026: St. Anselm’s Church, 365 83rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11209, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
August 23, 2026: Brooklyn Donor Center, 30 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Manhattan
August 19, 2026: NYC Police Pension Fund, 233 Broadway, Manhattan, NY, 10279, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
August 19, 2026: Haymarket Media, Inc., 275 7th Avenue, Manhattan, NY, 10001 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
August 19, 2026: W 35th Street Donor Center, 253 W. 35th Street, New York, NY, 10001 from 12:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
August 19, 2026: Grand Central Donor Center, Chanin Building, New York, NY, 10017 from 12:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
August 19, 2026: Upper East Side Donor Center, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY, 10065 from 7:45 AM to 2:45 PM
August 19, 2026: Penn South Social Services, 343 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY, 10001 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
August 20, 2026: NYPD Transit 4 Police/Union Square, Corner of Union Square East E17th Street, New York, NY, 10003 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
August 20, 2026: NYC Health + Hospitals | Harlem, 506 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY, 10037 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
August 20, 2026: NYPD – Internal Affairs, 315 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10013 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
August 20, 2026: 201 Varick Street Blood Drive, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY, 10014 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
August 20, 2026: W 35th Street Donor Center, 253 W. 35th Street, New York, NY, 10001 from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
August 20, 2026: Grand Central Donor Center, Chanin Building, New York, NY, 10017 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
August 20, 2026: Upper East Side Donor Center, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY, 10065 from 12:45 PM to 7:45 p.m.
August 21, 2026: W 35th Street Donor Center, 253 W. 35th Street, New York, NY, 10001 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
August 21, 2026: Grand Central Donor Center, Chanin Building, New York, NY, 10017 from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
August 21, 2026: Upper East Side Donor Center, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY, 10065 from 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
August 22, 2026: Grand Central Donor Center, Chanin Building, New York, NY, 10017 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
August 22, 2026: Upper East Side Donor Center, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY, 10065 from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
August 23, 2026: Our Lady of Good Counsel/St. Thomas More Parish, 230 East 90th Street, New York, NY 10128, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
August 23, 2026: Grand Central Donor Center, Chanin Building, New York, NY 10017, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
August 23, 2026: Upper East Side Donor Center, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Staten Island
August 19, 2026: Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center, 2791 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY, 10314 from 12:30 p.m.to 7:30 p.m.
August 20, 2026: NYPD 123 Precinct, 116 Main Street, Staten Island, NY, 10307 from 12:00 PM to 6:00 p.m.
August 20, 2026: Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center, 2791 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY, 10314 from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
August 23, 2026: Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center, 2791 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY, 10314 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
A few of these drives take place at our donor centers, listed below. We have 21 donor centers in the NY Tri-State Area and in all 5 boroughs. All donor center locations and hours, along with our mobile blood drive zip code tracker, can be found at NYBC.org.