File photo.

A new blood donor program is helping Canadian Blood Services get enough blood for it's clients.

CBS continues to get good support from older donors and have placed programs for young people in high schools, colleges and universities.  "Close to half of all blood donations come from donors over the age of 50 even though they only make up about a third of our donor base," said Resource Manager Annie Barrette who says they need more people in the 24 to 45 age category to donate.  

"We do that specifically through our Partners for Life program," said Barrette when asked how they encourage more people to donate.  "The Partners for Life program is a program geared towards communities or organizations in setting forth a pledge.  By coming together and donating together a lot of times we get to leave work and donate as an organization."

Barrette explained how the Partners for Life plan has been successful in active communities.

"Communities where we see a strong partnership with different organizations in the community are areas where the clinics do come in on target as we say.  What that means is when we go out to a blood donor clinic we have a goal of obtaining 150 units for example.  In communities where we have strong community engagement and organizations participating in the Partners for Life, we don't struggle to collect the units that we need for the patients living in those communities."

Barrette noted the need for blood is constant across the country; with 170,000 additional donors needed annually to help maintain the national blood supply.

She added people quit donating for various reasons including traveling plans, medication and health issues or different routines.

The Partners for Life program is already present in a number of southern Manitoba communities.  To sign up for Partners for Life, log on to blood.ca.