Every 8 weeks or so, I donate whole blood. Prior to donating, you make an appointment on their…read morewebsite or SBC app. On the day of your appointment, you must complete the pre-check which involves answering a series of questions online which include topics around HIV, tattoos, cancer, and medications. After the pre-check, you're issued a QRC which is sent to your SBC app or you can take a photo to show to the tech who pre-screens you before the donation. Upon arrival, you sign the register and the friendly receptionist checks you in and has you sit in the waiting area. When a tech calls your name, you follow them to a room where they check your vitals, your blood for iron, and answer a bunch of questions based on how you filled out the pre-check questions. As an example, which countries have you visited in the last 3 years will be asked. At this point, you can be disqualified. For me, I've been DQed for low blood pressure and low iron (I was 12.3 and you need to be a minimum of 12.5). Thus, it behooves me to be well rested, eat iron rich foods or supplements and be well hydrated well before the appointment. Additionally, SBC requests no aspirin or alcohol before the appointment. After you pass the pre-screen with flying colors, you can now donate blood which takes less than 10 minutes. For aftercare, there's a "canteen" where you are required to stay for 10 minutes. During your rest, a volunteer offers you a selection of snacks and beverages. In fact, there's a menu from which to choose. Moreover, your placemat includes a word search game and other trivia. Everyone you encounter is friendly and professional. Depending on the month, there are different promotions offered. For October, you can get an Earthquake scarf. In the past, I've received logo T-shirts, gift cards and a Golden State Warrior hoodie that I gave to my friend who is a Warriors fan. Additionally, for every donation, you receive points for which you can redeem for logo wear and gift cards. The whole experience is pleasant.
