To give blood, you must weigh at least 110 pounds; you must be at least 17 years old, and you must be in general good health. If you are sick and cannot donate, please recruit a friend or family member to give in your place.

All donors must have a photo ID or American Red Cross donor card.

If you plan on giving blood:

• Double your fluid intake in the 48 hours leading up to the drive.

• Eat a nutritious meal the night before, as well as the day of, the blood drive.

• Eat iron-rich foods such as lean beef, broccoli, eggs, greens, shrimp or dried beans.

• Also consume foods rich in Vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, cabbage, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

• Get a good night's sleep before the drive.

The American Red Cross Blood Services, Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region, which supplies blood to approximately 100 hospitals, needs 600 blood donors each day to meet the needs of patients in the region.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.

American Red Cross Blood Drives this month in Cleburne County are:

12/17/09 Heflin Baptist Church

155 Almon St. 1-6 p.m.

12/18/09 Cleburne County Nursing Home

122 Brockford Rd

1:30 pm — 6 p.m.