MEDIC Regional Blood Center has asked the community to donate O negative blood.
The center always needs all kinds of donors but recently, MEDIC has been unable to meet the increasing demand of units of O negative blood from area hospitals.
During the holidays and beginning of the year, the center said it typically sees less donations because it's cold, more people are sick, and it's harder to hold blood drives.
MEDIC's marketing coordinator Trina McMahan also said they need more younger, regular blood donors.
The annual Roll Up Your Sleeve blood drive is set for Jan. 15 through Jan. 19. There will be blood drives at 30 different Food City stores in 16 counties.
All donors are encouraged to go to medicblood.org/eligibility to determine whether they are eligible to give blood.