Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Blood Drive at Altadena’s Collaboratory Comes as Red Cross Declares National Crisis

Pasadena Village and the Eaton Fire Collaborative partner with the Red Cross for an August 3 donation event open to all

The nation’s blood supply has dropped to levels the American Red Cross calls a crisis. On August 3, a partnership between three organizations will bring a donation site to Altadena, where a single hour in a chair could help reverse it.

Pasadena Village, the Eaton Fire Collaborative, and the Red Cross are co-hosting a blood drive at the Collaboratory from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Organizers say they need 25 donors to make the drive a success, according to the Pasadena Village event listing.

The drive comes as the Red Cross confronts what it calls only the second national blood supply crisis in its history. The national supply fell nearly 25% in June, and donations have reached a four-year summer low, according to a Red Cross press release issued July 27. The organization is now limiting distributions of type O blood — the most commonly transfused — to hospitals nationwide.

“Emergency departments, operating rooms, and labor and delivery units can’t support patients with the most urgent needs, and cancer patients must wait,” said Dr. Courtney Lawrence, medical director for the Red Cross, in a statement earlier this month. “We’re asking donors to give now before doctors are forced to make those difficult decisions.”

The venue is the Collaboratory, a community hub that opened in October 2025 as the physical home of the Eaton Fire Collaborative’s recovery operations. The Eaton Fire, which ignited on January 7, 2025, destroyed more than 9,000 structures across Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre. The Collaboratory has since served as a central space for fire survivors to access resources and connect with community partners, according to the Eaton Fire Collaborative.

Pasadena Village, a Pasadena-based nonprofit that serves adults 55 and older, is sponsoring the drive. The organization, led by Executive Director Katie Brandon, fosters independent living and community connection among its members. It also offers free rides to the blood drive for anyone who needs transportation; donors can select “Need a Ride” when registering or email info@pasadenavillage.org.

To schedule an appointment, donors can visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter “Village” as the ZIP or sponsor code, then look for “Eaton Fire Collaborative – The Collaboratory, Sponsor: Pasadena Village” on August 3. Donors can also call 626-765-6037.

All who donate blood through the Red Cross from August 1 through August 31 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card by email, according to the Red Cross. Details are available at rcblood.org/August. Donors must be at least 17 years old in most states — 16 with parental consent — weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in generally good health. Full eligibility requirements are available at redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html.

The Red Cross estimates that just three additional donors at each blood drive this summer could stabilize the national supply, according to the organization’s crisis press release.

The Blood Drive takes place on Monday, August 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Collaboratory, 540 West Woodbury Road. Admission is free and the event is open to all eligible donors. Parking information was not available at the time of publication. For more, call 626-765-6037 or visit pasadenavillage.org.