Blood & Plasma Donor Campaign
Give the gift of life with Progress Peel!
Canada urgently needs more blood and organ donors. Nationally, we need around a million new blood donors to meet growing demand, yet only a small fraction of eligible Canadians donate regularly. In Ontario alone, thousands of people are waiting for organ transplants each year, and hundreds die while waiting for a donor.
Progress Peel is stepping up with a long-term Blood and Organ Donor Campaign, and we’re inviting you to be part of it as a donor, volunteer, or both.
Why have a public campaign about blood donations?
Canada needs at least 1 million new blood donors to meet the increasing demand. This increasing demand is coming from Canada’s growing and aging population.
Only two percent of eligible Canadian blood donors donate blood.
Blood plasma donations already do not meet the needs of Canada’s population and the demand for blood plasma required to make immunoglobulin medications is expected to increase by 50 percent over the next 5 years.
More critically, there have been several occasions in the recent past when the number of blood donations have been at risk of not meeting the need for hospital use in the GTA. How much blood is required? At hospitals in Toronto alone, approximately 71,000 units of blood are required every year.
Why have a public campaign about organ donations?
In 2024 alone, over 200 people died waiting for an organ donor. Over 4000 people are waiting for a donor organ to help save their lives. Ontario, being Canada’s largest province, has the biggest need.
Many people think that the only organ donations that occur come from people who have died. There are occasions when living donors are required and this forms over one third of the organ and tissue donations that occur in Ontario annually.
Why have a public campaign about organ donations?
In 2024 alone, over 200 people died waiting for an organ donor. Over 4000 people are waiting for a donor organ to help save their lives. Ontario, being Canada’s largest province, has the biggest need.
Many people think that the only organ donations that occur come from people who have died. There are occasions when living donors are required and this forms over one third of the organ and tissue donations that occur in Ontario annually.
Our community partner - Canadian Blood Services
We are delighted to have been accepted by and working with Canadian Blood Services as one of their Partners for Life Teams. Our donors will be working directly with the professionals at Canadian Blood Services to donate blood.
I want to be a volunteer. What will I be doing?
There are two main volunteer roles in the Progress Peel blood and organ donation campaign. The first of these volunteer roles is as a door-to-door public awareness campaigner and blood donor recruiter. This volunteer work will begin in April once the weather is suitable and will proceed until the second of our two planned annual donation clinics takes place in August.
The second main volunteer role is as a donor contact person phoning people to remind them to come out and donate. This volunteer work will take place approximately one month prior to each donation session planned for the beginning of May and August.
Training will be provided for both volunteer roles. Training will be provided for both volunteer roles. Training sessions are expected to start in February and proceed through to June. Each volunteer will be expected to participate in a minimum of two training sessions. The first training session will cover all what we are planning to do in the campaign and the volunteers role in the campaign. The second and subsequent training sessions will involve role playing scenarios so volunteers are comfortable going door-to-door to recruit people for becoming blood donors.
For secondary school students, the hours you volunteer with us can be counted towards your secondary school 40-hour graduation requirement. Any equipment you require for performing the volunteer role like clipboards, pens, pencils, etc. will be provided by Progress Peel.