LEXINGTON, Ky. — It’s a pint of fluid that goes a long way. January is National Blood Donation Month.

Earlier this month, Kentucky Blood Center said blood centers across America have been dealing with unprecedented blood shortages throughout most of the pandemic. 

“I just think it’s a really quick and easy way to give back to the community, fairly painless,” Nathan Williams, a frequent donor in Lexington. “If you’re not able to give your time or your finances, it’s just a great alternative solution to give it back to the community, especially these types of need. And it gives you a good excuse to sit back and relax for 30 minutes or so.”

His gift back to the community is a pint of blood donation or plasma that started over a decade ago.

“I started giving in high school when my mom gave a lot as well. So that was 2009, 2010 I probably started giving, so a little over 10 years,” Williams said.

Back then, Williams thought it was a one-time deal, but so far in recent years he’s donated at the Kentucky Blood Center 34 times with over 4 gallons of blood.

“In reaction to the current events, something that I appreciate most about this opportunity is whenever I do give, I get a text from the blood center or saying your blood was just used by so and so out in Western Kentucky or Eastern Kentucky ‘Thank you for your donation’ So I think that’s the coolest thing about this opportunity,” Williams said.

The KBC said there have been plenty of pleas for donations in the last 18 months, but those pleas increased since the beginning of the new year.

“The fact that I’m able to give is really encouraging because a lot of my friends are not able to give just their sexuality or piercings or tattoos and so the fact that I’m able to give regularly doesn’t impact me down the road, just I have no excuse,” Williams said.

He adds that making a donation is often a comfortable experience.

“The staff at the blood center is also is a huge influence on my decision. They all do a great job. They keep you calm, they keep you nice and warm if you need that, that if you’re giving plasma, then they always have good snacks afterwards, which is a plus,” Williams said.

The Kentucky Blood Center said donating blood is fast–often taking less than an hour, safe and good for your body and many people are eligible to donate every 56 days.