In addition to staying home there are also more active roles we can play to minimize the effect that COVID-19 has on our community. We at Design Science explored ways to donate blood to assist with the nationwide blood shortage. Blood centers are urging people to donate, and they are taking every precaution to protect their staff and donors from getting sick.

The American Red Cross is only accepting appointments so make sure to download their Blood Donor app or visit their website to schedule an appointment for your visit. This is the best way for them to control the number of people in the building at one time to allow for physical distancing and thorough sanitation between donors. We visited the center at 700 Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia where we were immediately greeted, had our temperature taken, and were taken back for registration. Their registration questions can be answered ahead of time on a smartphone by searching for Red Cross Rapid Pass on Google. This form of registration successfully limits the amount of equipment each donor and staff member must touch or share. The past two weeks have been full of unknowns, but we found comfort in helping others with an organization that met us with warm smiles and a great regard for our safety. If you want to help, too, we hope you now understand you will be in great hands with the American Red Cross.

As always, stay safe and healthy. We are all in this together.