VA Augusta ranks among the top 20 organizations locally to save lives with blood donations
By Megan Kon, Public Affairs Specialist, VA Southeast Network
Since February 2022, VA Augusta has proudly partnered with Shepeard Community Blood Center to host blood drives that make a real difference. To date, 638 units of blood have been collected through this partnership—helping save countless lives across our region.
In 2025 alone, the Downtown and Uptown divisions of VA Augusta contributed 164 blood donations—86 from Downtown and 78 from Uptown—positively impacting nearly 500 local patients. Every unit collected at VA Augusta, along with donations made at Shepeard’s facilities or mobile drives, stays right here in our community to help those who need it most.
The need is great: Augusta requires at least 2,000 units of blood every month to meet patient needs. That’s why consistent and repetitive donation is so important. As one Shepeard representative reminds us:
“For the health of our community, donation is important. Consistent and repetitive is also important. Now is the best time to donate. We welcome you to one of our VA-hosted blood drives or, if it’s more convenient, another mobile blood drive or any Shepeard facility located in Aiken, SC or Dublin, Grovetown, Augusta, Evans, or Bonaire, GA.”
Looking ahead, VA Augusta’s next blood drives are scheduled for:
- February 13 at Uptown Division
- March 12 at Downtown Division
Shepeard is also honoring 20 organizations that donated the most blood in 2025, collectively providing more than 3,300 donations to local patients. This recognition underscores the power of community partnerships in saving lives.
Blood truly connects us all—it’s something every person needs to survive, and it can only come from generous volunteer donors like you. Thank you to everyone who rolled up their sleeves. Your donation is more than a gift—it’s a lifeline.