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. The recent deep freeze in the region has made it even more so for the start of 2024.

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. Yet the organization reports it “is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years.”

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.

Earlier this week, the Upper Peninsula Regional Blood Center put out a call for O-negative and A-negative blood types. But we’re sure they won’t turn down donations of other types as well.

The UPRBC has collection sites in Marquette, Hancock and Escanaba and is the sole provider of blood products to 13 Upper Peninsula hospitals. “All blood donations stay in the Upper Peninsula, and a single donation could save up to three lives,” the UPRBC states on its website, https://www.uphealthsystem.com/regional-blood-center.

The UPRBC also plans these local blood drives in the area in the near future:

— 3:30 to 7 p.m. Monday at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 1210 S. Kimberly Ave., Iron Mountain.

— 1:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at United Lutheran Church, 506 Superior Ave., Crystal Falls.

To schedule an appointment or find a blood drive, call 906-449-1450.

Other organizations or groups are encouraged as well to be blood drive sponsors and coordinators. To organize a blood drive or make a blood donation appointment, call the UPRBC location nearest you, or toll-free at 1-800-49-4483 (GIVE).

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