Winter is a period — be it reduced daylight, the numbing cold, the uncertain footing or other factors — when most everything seems to slow down and cling close to home when possible.

So perhaps it’s no surprise hospitals and blood banks struggle during this season to get enough donors to come in and give up a pint.

Hence January being National Blood Donor Month, to put a special emphasis on that need.

According to the American Red Cross, every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and about 41,000 blood donations are needed every day.

So if you haven’t given blood in awhile, now is the time. And chances are a blood center or blood drive can be found relatively close by, making it easier to donate.

In Iron Mountain, the U.P. Regional Blood Center is in Suite 120 of the Medical Arts Building, 1711 S. Stephenson Ave. To make an appointment, call 906-774-1012.

U.P. Regional Blood Center drives planned in the area this month include:

— 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Aspirus Iron River Hospital, 1400 W. Ice Lake Road in Iron River. For an appointment, call Abby Miller at 906-308-0232.

— 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 10 at United Lutheran Church, 506 Superior Ave. in Crystal Falls. For an appointment, call Pearl Ross at 906-875-3197 or Pat Kosiba at 906-875-3187.

The organization also has centers in Marquette, Escanaba, Hancock and Sault Ste. Marie. To see a schedule of other upcoming drives, plus hours at the centers, go online to www.mgh.org/blood.

So make the call and help the U.P. Regional Blood Center maintain a healthy supply when an emergency arises.