Red Cross blood drive in Brookline canceled following staff shortages

BROOKLINE, Mass. — A Red Cross Blood drive in Brookline has been canceled due to staff shortages. An email was sent to prospective donors a day before the drive was set to happen at the Stephan F. Rutledge VFW Post #864 on Washington Street in Brookline.

The Red Cross sponsored blood drive was put on hold because there were not enough people available to work in the local district, according to the email.

The Red Cross was apologetic, telling donors they can’t operate the drive without enough people.

“From time to time during the pandemic, the Red Cross, like so many organizations, has experienced some challenges as we navigate this ever-changing environment,” Red Cross Spokesperson Aly Barraza said.

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The email also told donors that, “we need to be proactive in making sure we have enough staff each day to run the blood drives safely.”

The Red Cross also said they do not want donors to experience poor customer service caused by long waits in lines due to the staff shortage. Boston 25 News asked the Red Cross if this was an isolated incident or if it was happening more frequently due to COVID-19.

“We’ve experienced a large number of blood drive cancellations, while also needing to adjust our operations to support our safety precautions and steward donations from generous blood donors to meet patient needs,” Barraza said.

The Red Cross wants Brookline residents to know they will be back in Brookline on January 19 and twice in February.

Cox Media Group