The American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region needs special volunteers to deliver blood products to hospitals in local communities and provide the vital link between blood donors and patients who need blood products.

Volunteers in the blood transportation specialist position have two important assignments — to transport blood from Red Cross blood collection sites to labs throughout the region for testing and processing, and to deliver blood products to hospitals in the area using a Red Cross-owned vehicle.

These crucial volunteers will be asked to fill two to four shifts in their region each month, and the assignment usually takes about four hours to complete. The need for these transports may be scheduled during the day, in the evening, and on weekends.

If you have a valid state driver’s license and at least three years of licensed driving experience, you can choose regular routes, stand-by emergency deliveries or both. This is a great volunteer opportunity for individuals, couples, friends or family members. Volunteers must be able to lift as much as 45 pounds. Training is provided by the Red Cross. Blood transportation specialists can schedule their own hours while helping patients in need.

“It only takes a few hours each week to have an impact on someone’s life. When you join us, as a member of our Blood Transportation Team, you’ll serve as a critical link in getting blood donations to those who need them,” said Patty Montmorency, Blood Services Transportation Team Lead. “Training is free, but the blood you deliver is priceless.”

When Red Cross volunteer Mark Merz is asked why he serves as a Blood Transportation Specialist, he said he gets motivated “just knowing that someone is in a hospital and might need a transfusion.”

Since he is semi-retired, Merz does a shift every other week, picking up boxes of blood donations from blood drives and transporting them to hospitals.

If helping hospital patients who need blood and blood products during their battle back to health is of interest to you, visit redcross.org/volunteer for more information.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit them on Twitter at @RedCross.