Local blood bank to support Northern Illinois Food Bank through donations Nov. 19-25

Blood and food are two of life's most important components.

No two organizations know that more than Vitalant, formerly LifeSource, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

The latter of which serves as the source of nutritious food and innovative feeding programs serving more than 71,500 people each week.

This Thanksgiving, all participating blood donors who donate between Nov. 19-25 at any Vitalant donation center, fixed site or blood drive, will automatically have a monetary donation made on their behalf to the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva.

Entitled "Thanks for Giving," the campaign looks to encourage blood donations during a time of year that typically sees a drop in the local blood supply across the entire.

Last year, Vitalant's Thanks for Giving campaign resulted in a donation of $2,791 to Mothers Against Senseless Killings.

The year before that, Vitalant donated $2,500 to Advocate Charitable Foundation.

In preparation for their donation, donors are asked to eat well, stay hydrated and arrive with proper identification. The donation appointment takes about an hour (with the donation itself only around ten minutes) and is both safe and comfortable.

Earlier this year, Blood Systems announced that its 10 blood center brands including LifeSource had united as one cohesive brand under the new name Vitalant.

In the Chicago area, Vitalant has 17 donation centers, four fixed sites, and hosts an average of six blood drives every day.

View all center locations and blood drive dates by visiting vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825 (877-25VITAL).