Business major Karen Lopez is one of the many people who are afraid of needles when donating blood at the American Red Cross Blood Drive which is being held Monday through Thursday in the Cerritos College Falcon Square.

However, knowing that donating blood is going to a good cause, Lopez knows the pain is only temporary.

“I feel good because I’m doing a good cause, that’s why I do it,” she said.

According to Robert Torres, the senior field manager from the American Red Cross, 97 people came to the blood mobile but only 75 were able to donated blood on Monday.

People who are not able to donate blood are not able to because of different reasons, such as:

• Lack of iron
• Medication
• Having a tattoo done in less than one year.

Torres has been participating in the Cerritos College blood drives for 19 years.

“They’re (students) givers. Most importantly, they’re helping save lives in the community,” Torres said.

Child development major Vanessa Pena donated blood on Monday. This was her third time donating.

“I’ve been meaning to do it and I just did it,” Pena said.

She feels hungry and a little tired every time she donates.

“People get into crashes a lot. Imagine nobody giving blood, that would really suck,” Pena said.

The last blood drive at Cerritos College was during the summer session.

“We (the blood drive) collected 105 pints in the summer. For a summer blood drive that’s excellent,” Torres said.

He expressed that the summer time is the worst season to collect blood because that is when least people donate and appreciates Cerritos College for donating during that season.

“There’s never been a good summer. The second worst time is the holiday season. That’s around Thanksgiving to New Year’s.”

Over 300 lives were saved from the 105 pints that were collected.

Each time a person donates blood, he is giving three pints of blood. One pint of blood saves three lives.

“I am absolutely phenomenal about this school. These are community blood drives, the blood stays right here at our local hospitals,” Torres said.

He is proud of Cerritos College students who donate blood and constantly do it.

Law major Osvaldo Alvarez donated blood on Monday. He has previously donated several times in the past.

“If I have the means and the opportunity to make a difference and help then why not do it,” Alvarez said.

He said that donating blood may seem scary at first, even after several times.

“It’s just something that you have to own up to and get over,” Alvarez said.

The blood that is most needed and always in demand is O negative.

“That is a person who can give [blood] to anyone and relieve from anyone,” Torres said about O negative.

He mentioned that O positive “is very common, especially in the Hispanic, Caucasian, African American communities.”

Those whose blood type are A positive, B positive, or AB can only give and take to those with the same blood type.

Each time a person donates blood, their blood is checked to see if the blood is clean.

That is when people who don’t know what their blood type is are informed of what type it is for future reference when donating another time.