Blood continues to be in short supply due to the pandemic. Later today, the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will hold a blood drive. K R P S’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

One blood donation can help save the lives of three people, and this morning the C B C O will hold a blood drive at Freeman Health Systems in Joplin. The blood supply has been taxed for over a year now as countless blood drives have been canceled because of the pandemic. Freeman hospital alone uses more than 500 pints of blood in an average month.

The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks is the sole provider of blood products to Freeman and 34 area hospitals in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. Masks are required for donors and staff. If you don’t have a mask, one will be provided. Today’s blood drive at Freeman hospital runs from 9 AM until 5 PM. To schedule your appointment, call 417.227.5006, or visit their website at cbco.org