I encourage all of you that are trying to do the best you can to help your community but do not really know how, here's a tip: donate blood.

I went to We Are Blood in RR. They are taking this very seriously and measures are in place to make you feel safe/comfortable. This is the first time in probably a decade-and-a-half since I have donated blood. I was a little nervous and dont like needles, but that didnt stop me; Just Do it. The worst part was having to watch Joey Fatone host a game show during my 15 minute Whole Blood draw. In reality, it was a completely painless experience, and I didnt leave the lobby without making my appointment for July 3rd and if its on the calendar, I'm gonna do it.

It's safe, it helps out your community, and gets you out of the house for an hour or two (can you imagine?). You could actually be a superhero that saves someone's life, without you ever knowing...and that's amazing.

If you donate platelets, its more like two hours of alone time -- and you can just tell your significant other that you are saving peoples lives, without embellishing! How cool is that? . Bring your Bluetooth headsets and work computer if you want. But give back, either way. Every drop matters.

Edit: here's a link: https://weareblood.org/donate-blood/make-an-appointment/?utm_source=Waterloo%20Austin&utm_medium=CPC

Way to go! Thanks for starting this thread.

At a minimum, I would strongly ask every healthy individual to donate a pint a blood a couple of times per year.

And for those who are a bit more adventurous, consider a platelet donation.

Donated this week. Gulf Coast Blood Center. They said they were slow at the beginning of the outbreak but word has gotten out and they have been steady. That's good to hear.