The need for blood is growing. Access should too.
32% of lapsed blood donors said they would be more likely to donate if blood drives were closer to their workplace, and convenience is the #1 factor in scheduling a blood donation in the next 6 months. As local patient need regularly outpaces collections, reaching blood donors matters more than ever.
That’s why we’ve launched Mission In Motion, a campaign to expand our mobile fleet of bloodmobiles — to meet donors where they live, work, and play; to bring donation opportunities to rural, tribal, and under-served neighborhoods across our region; and to make sure blood is there when patients need it most.
One new bloodmobile = 50 more blood drives
One new bloodmobile = over 1,500 additional blood units
One new bloodmobile = 3,300 new appointment slots
In July 2025, thanks to financial donations from supporters like you, we bought the first bloodmobile of the campaign! To learn more about the impact and what it’s like to work on our shiny new bus, we interviewed Kristin, one of our amazing Blood Collection Specialists.
What’s surprised you about being a Blood Collection Specialist?
I would say not much really did as I had previous medical background. I will say I didn’t realize how many career routes phlebotomy has and was expecting more of a lab/ hospital environment when first starting this job. I didn’t realize how at home I’d feel at work, specifically with Bloodworks.
What’s the best upgrade on the new bloodmobile?
The new bloodmobile as a whole has been a significant upgrade. I would say having four separate air conditioning systems with the ability to turn the vents on the ceilings towards donors having reactions is VERY nice. It enables us to cool donors down more effectively. Also, with the bus being bigger in general, it allows more room for donors as well as us techs to maneuver more easily. This makes a big difference in comfort, especially in the screening rooms.
Kristin, I heard you were the first Blood Collection Specialist to drive the new bloodmobile. What is it like driving such a large vehicle (any fun stories?) and how’s the new ride compared to the old one?
I personally really like driving large vehicles including the bloodmobile. It can be stressful depending on where the drive is being held due to narrow roads or tricky parking, but relying on my teammates is what allows things to run smoothly. Comparatively, the new bus drives more like a car than the old bus. Not sure how that works considering the new bus is bigger, but it is easier to drive. It maintains speed going uphill and has an engine braking system that helps with slowing the engine down to avoid hard breaking (LOVE). Due to this bus being overall easier to operate, it has allowed our staff to feel more confident about being trained and driving the larger vehicles.
What are some challenges about doing mobile drives that donors might not expect?
I would say the biggest challenge would be accessibility. Although it would seem reasonable to be able to take the bus out and park wherever, there’s a lot of logistics that go into making sure a site is appropriate for the bus including parking space and incline. Another challenge donors have mentioned is that walking up to a blood mobile can be intimidating and as a result sometimes we only see a couple of donors at each drive. Having more welcoming bloodmobiles provides the opportunity to get our name out to the community. Especially bloodmobiles like the new one we have now that creates a welcoming and safe space for our donors.
Can you tell us about a time you saw a mobile drive reach a community or individual that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to give blood?
Recently I was actually on an overnight trip where we took the bloodmobile all the way to Long Beach. Typically, we don’t host drives further than an hour and a half from our center. Having the new bus ensured we could one, travel that distance safely and two, get the Bloodworks name out to a more rural community. We had a decent turnout with lots of new donors and questions regarding our organization with many looking forward to seeing us out there again!
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