IOWA CITY - Blood centers report a greater need for donations following the holidays, and ask donors to step up their visits, or at least schedule them during the slow period, marked as January's National Blood Donor Month.

The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which serves 80 Midwest hospitals, including Mercy Hospital and the VA Medical Center in Iowa City, and St. Luke's Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, said that between late December and early January the center typically sees a 20 percent decrease in donations.

They have not yet rebounded this winter, officials said.

"We have not recovered our blood inventories from recent holidays and our supply is low," said Amanda Hess, MVRBC donor relations director, who noted that last week's storms caused some blood drive cancellations and also hurt supplies.

Hess said that less than 40 percent of the national population is eligible to donate blood, but less than 10 percent do, and approximately five percent donate less than three times a year in most areas, she said. Eligible donors can give blood up to six times a year, which breaks down to approximately every 60 days.

In Linn and Johnson counties, she estimated the donor level to be roughly three percent.

The American Red Cross Badger-Hawkeye Blood Services Region, which collects approximately 500 donations daily throughout much of Iowa, and also parts of Wisconsin and Michigan, also saw a donor drop following the holidays, largely due to weather and seasonal illnesses, spokesperson Bobbi Snethen said.

According to regional numbers from last winter, storms forced 22 blood drives to cancel, shorting the region 967 predicted donations, Snethen said, and asked that eligible donors give blood now in preparation of future hindrances.

MVRBC spokesperson Kirby Winn noted while the level of hospital demand stays the same, blood donations always fluctuate, forcing centers to "look under every rock" for support when the winter season works against them.

Some blood centers, like the University of Iowa Hospitals Degowin Blood Center, have added more mobile blood drives this winter to help replenish inventories during this critical time of year.

"We know that if we make it convenient for people to donate, they will be more likely to do so," said Paula Dayton, donor recruitment coordinator for the UI Degowin Blood Center, who said 13 drives were scheduled this month.

MVRBC Donor Relation Consultant Chris Ciasto, who helps coordinate blood drives daily throughout the region, agreed. She and a group of phlebotomy technicians, stationed in a bus at the parking lot of Informed Choices women's medical clinic, at 821 S Gilbert St. in Iowa City, expected six blood donors Wednesday, and hoped for more walk-ins.

"The need is always there, it never diminishes," she said.

More than 50 blood drives remain scheduled at mobile sites throughout Eastern Iowa through January. One collection unit of blood, equivalent to one pint of fluid, can help up to three individual lives.

Upcoming drives for the Degowin Blood Center in Iowa City

Find Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center drives

Find American Red Cross Blood drives here