The blood supplies are dwindling in the waning days of summer.

"We have four blood types at less than a two day blood supply," says Cheryl Gergely with the Greater Alleghenies Region of the American Red Cross which serves 100 counties in much of West Virginia along with parts of Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylania, Virginia and Ohio.

Supplies of O negative, A negative, B negative and B positive blood are at emergency levels, the lowest those supply levels have been in months.

Gergely tells MetroNews there could be any number of reasons for that.

"The last couple of weeks, our weather has gotten hot and humid and I think a lot of people have stopped moving around and spending as much time outside as they normally do, so they're not coming out and donating blood," she says.

"Not only that, we typically rely a lot of high school and college age blood donors during the school year."

A five day supply is what Gergely says is needed to supply hospitals and other sites with any given type of blood at any given time.

To find a blood drive near you go to www.redcrosslife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).
 

Blood drives are scheduled in the coming days in the following areas:

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19TH

Charleston, WV: Noon to 6:00 p.m., American Red Cross Donor Center, 4501 MacCorkle Ave., S.E., in Kanawha City
Parkersburg, WV: Noon to 6:00 p.m., Keystone Blood Donor Center, 3210 Dudley Ave
Parkersburg, WV: 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., Stephenson United Methodist Church, 805 Liberty St.
 
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20TH

Charleston, WV: Noon to 6:00 p.m., American Red Cross Donor Center, 4501 MacCorkle Ave., S.E., in Kanawha City
Cross Lanes, WV: 2:00 to 7:00 p.m., Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, 5320 Frontier Drive
Hamlin, WV: 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., American Legion, Route 3 & Route 34
Huntington, WV: 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., American Red Cross Donor Center, 1111 Veterans Memorial Blvd
 
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21ST

Charleston, WV: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., American Red Cross Donor Center, 4501 MacCorkle Ave., S.E., in Kanawha City
Charleston, WV: 2:00 to 7:00 p.m., St. George Orthodox Church, Court & Lee Sts
Huntington, WV: 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., HIMG Regional Medical Ctr, 5170 US Rt. 60 East
Parkersburg, WV: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Keystone Blood Donor Center,Parkersburg, 3210 Dudley Ave
 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22ND

Salt Rock, WV: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Valley of Decision Church, McComas Road
Vienna, WV: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Grand Central Mall, Grand Central Ave.
Saint Albans, WV: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Saint Albans Library, 602 4th St