Donations are a fantastic way to give back to the community. And I like how this place takes it quite literally, haha! I've been a blood donor for many years and used to donate in another city, but I find the main centre by the U of A hospital here in Edmonton to be the best place so far! My first time here was made into a great experience with the lovely, caring staff members that helped me along in the screening process. The actual donation portion only takes like 5-10 minutes for whole blood, and you get treated with free food after like juice, coffee/tea, soup, cookies, snacks, and other treats (aka more sugar )! Coming from a place where I was once terrified of needles, I've grown quite a tolerance for them since becoming a blood donor - other needles just feel thoroughly unpleasant (aka sucky) compared to the ones used here! (Especially booster shots... yucky ) I've even also switched to being a plasma donor in the last 2 years, which helps bump up your donation counts substantially (Donate whole blood every 56 days/~2 months vs donate plasma every 6 days!) * advantage to being a plasma donor - you get to know the staff better when you see them every week Depending on the person, whole blood donations take about 5-10 minutes, plasma donations approximately 15-20 minutes (and looks like beer!), and platelet donations takes about 1.5 hours. The free food is nice, especially when you score some Cookies by George The staff are all experienced in poking people nicely, or you can request for someone more experienced for those harder-to-locate veins. CBS also has great campaigns and fundraisers for donors to participate in, like the Corporate Challenge or Bravery Bead Program Blood. It's in you to give read more

I just received my commemorative pin for my 50th donation. I've been donating whole blood and plasma for over 30 years. I had to take many breaks because it's easy to become disqualified for donations. Low hemoglobin, risky travel, ear piercings, low body weight. etc. The CBS located beside The U of A hospital has a free parking lot. Don't forget to register your plate #. Screening can now be done online to save you some hassle. The interview must still be done in person. The procedure for plasma donation is quick. The seating times are exclusively done by appointment on Tues, Wed, and Thursday. The renovated wait area is spacious and the snack bar is "help yourself". There are greeters to answer any questions. The national call centre calls me up every week to ask me to donate. It gets a little annoying, but they will stop the calls for a while if you ask. It's a worthwhile cause if you are physically able to do it. read more

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I've donated 4 times now, and I intend to continue on a regular basis! This facility is set up for full efficiency, even during the pandemic. The scene is a little different these days. Gone are the days of stacks of yummy snacks and fresh cookies from Cookies by George. There are still snacks and beverages available, but you have to take them with you and enjoy them in your vehicle. the staff are still incredibly friendly and they are great at keeping people calm and getting them through the process quickly. Keep it up! read more

I've given blood three times in the past year and they gave me a keychain to commemorate my third donation! They also recruited me into their plasma side. They are specifically looking for B+ and A- blood types for plasma. Plasma can be donated weekly while whole blood require 56 days between donations. They can take plasma more regularly because they don't take your red blood cells, they return it to you once they've taken the plasma. The amount of plasma they take in one sitting is the equivalent of the plasma in 3 whole blood donations. Plasma is often used after surgery or on burn victims. The advice they gave me is to be really hydrated when I come to donate. Plasma is essentially the water in your blood. They suggest drinking 2L of water the day before and the day of the donation. Additionally they want you to eat a lower fat dinner the night before because that fat goes into your plasma and makes it harder to separate the plasma from your blood. The donation centre recently got a facelift and renovation. In the reno they removed their hot soup offerings, which was a big hit. Now they are offering bags of chips, cookies, pop, and juice. Apparently it's good to eat salty snacks before donating and sweet after donating. I'll be going more often so I'll update the review if anything changes! read more

This is a great location I was in and out approximately two hours. This is a very important building I'll also add up a photograph read more

Canadian Blood Services - Image of outside of building inside photos are not allowed - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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I have been donating here for over 20 years now. The nurses are great and it isn't as scary as you may think. You can start by donating while blood. You have to wait 56 days between donations. If you are eager to do more join the Plasmapherisis program. Then you can donate every week. The reason is that they just use your blood plasma and return the red blood cells and everything else back to you. Most people in hospital just need blood plasma. After you are done they have a snack area so you can rest for a bit. They have Cookies by George (thoughtfully donated), soup, pop, juice etc etc. Did I mention the nurses are great! It's in you to give. read more

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Quite honestly I miss coming here to donate blood, but unfortunately I will not be doing so again (long story, but I obtained a very unusual nerve injury from donating blood once and don't want another one nor do I like irritating the old one so this isn't an option anymore for me). That said I've always had pleasant treatment from the staff here and I loved the soup and cookies! I've recently visited to be support for friends who have donated blood and refamiliarized myself with this amazing facility. I definitely recommend donating blood to everyone who is eligible and able. read more

You can't believe how easy the staff make the process of donating blood. From the first time to what is now my 6th donation! We all come from my studio and 5 of us donate regularly. The gentleman that hosts the refreshment area is the nicest person I've ever met. The nurses are excellent and very good at what they do. Making the donation process swift, painless and clean. After your donation, you get a bowl of soup, cookies, juice, pop.... leave feeling great read more

So you've come to give blood, eh? Lol, not quite. Just came here to support a friend and sneak myself some free food. Not the best food in town just simple soup, some cookies, snacks and a juice/pop. But the real point is, someone in your group giving blood. Sure there can be a whole speech to this, but i'm here to tell you what to expect. First off, if you can't handle the sight of blood or a needle then do not come at all. Let's begin, So this can take up to an hour depending how busy it is. If you come here, like me to support a friend, there is free wifi (giveblood wifi). Lol, but make sure to support friend as well. Make sure you sign in your vehicle at the front with license plate if you park here. Staff is quite friendly & washrooms are fairly well kept. To be honest, this place is pretty intimidating just because there is so many people or it may also be your first time. What ever the case, you will get through it. After a series of questionnaires and screening, getting blood drawn is fairly quick and easy, and after all that the cafeteria gives free food as described as above. That's pretty much it, unless you want to talk to random people. Great thing about this place is that's it organized in way so that you can get in and out. So good luck! Recommended for anyone seeking to give back to life. read more

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Donated blood there twice now and it was really a positive experience. To start off with, there is ample free parking for donors, so that is nice and trouble free. When you get in the building, the staff are all very friendly and helpful. If it's your first time donating, they'll take great care of you every step of the way and make you feel really comfortable. The whole process takes about an hour but the blood collection only take 5-15 minutes depending on how fast you pump it out! My record is 7 minutes! Then afterwards you get cookies and juice. What more could you want? It's seriously so easy and a very positive experience. I only wish I started donating sooner. read more

My experience with Canadian Blood Services has been positive since the first time I called to make my first appointment. The agents on the phone a very helpful with any questions you may have, and also ask you many questions to make sure blood donation is right for you. I have donated twice so far. My first donation was on a Saturday morning, which I later realized is not a very good time to go. More on that later. All of the staff members were extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. They really make first time donors feel great - they give you a little pin in the shape of a blood drop with a 1 on it, and put a sticker on you that says "First Time Donor" so everyone knows and can guide you. Prick your finger, fill out forms, and answer questions from a nurse to make sure you can donate that day. Once you get in the chair, it takes about 5-10 minutes for the blood to come out and 5 more minutes to rest. Now, completely my fault, I did not adequately prepare myself. When I got over to the rest/cookie area, I got hit with nausea and dizziness and started sweating. A nurse came over, laid me down on a yoga mat on the floor, and took my blood pressure a few times. I felt really embarrassed, and she talked me through it and helped me not feel so dumb about it. On my second visit (a Monday evening) I really prepared myself (HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE! EAT MEAT!) and did way better. My blood came out in less than 7 minutes compared to 16 minutes the first time. The staff were again super friendly and really make everyone feel welcome. There is free parking right outside of the clinic. Just make sure you register your vehicle when you check in. You can donate whole blood every 56 days, and you can make your next appointment when you check in to make sure you donate regularly. Their website is also great and has tons and tons of info on anything you could want to know about blood, donating, and more. Please give! :) Bonus: Can't argue with unlimited juice boxes. read more

Donating blood for a good cause. The process almost takes an hour, but after all the paper work is done, it only takes a few minutes. And you get free soup, cookies and drinks after! read more

As an eager first time donor, I was put completely at ease with the friendly faces, and the compassionate staff at Canadian Blood Services. The whole process was seamless, and everything was so warm and friendly and chatty. Make sure to sick around, have a snack, get to know people and come back! read more

This facility is always clean and organized, and it doesn't take long (about an hour total) to complete the entire process of whole blood donation, from walking in the clinic to walking out. If you don't have an appointment, it might take a little longer as you'll have to wait for an opening. That's ok, though, as there are several televisions throughout the facility to entertain you. My experiences with staff here have always been good. Everyone is friendly and most of the time they have interesting things to talk about with you during your donation. They are also very attentive, and check on you regularly to make sure everything is going smoothly. The folks here really know how to make you comfortable. On top of that, getting free juice & cookies is awesome!! Is it weird to think that donating blood is fun? Ah, well. My one complaint is that they mail you appointment reminders as well as call. A phone call is fine -- no need to waste paper. read more

My first experience donating started off great the ladies at the front and the guy around the snack bar all so sociable and great. Once in the back ready to donate the one girl said she found a vein but has just started and didn't feel comfortable because it was a deep one (totally get it as not everyone is good and she wasn't confident at all and nobody around her was encountering her she seemed so nervous). Now this other lady didn't even touch me yet before she was judging my veins- then once she couldn't find one she liked she just said you are being deferred you can book again for tomorrow. So I was like oh why she said it just happens. Now my sister before couldn't get it either so I said oh man maybe it's a sister thing and before I could even finish she said it just happens. So then my mom beside me asked if she found a vein and I said no she didn't maybe next time and the lady again jumped in and said it just happens you can come back another time but very rudely as I was just grabbing my stuff and telling my mom and then going to the car to wait with my sister... like I understand it can happen but she repeated her self over and over and interrupted me every time I went to talk and was just very discouraging as this world already sucks and if your hear you do some good it would be nice to have a person willing your to talk to you like an actually human being not someone you have no interest in --- read more

Wonderful cause- although without contacting someone down east to make an appointment- not easy to get in-my schedule is such that I used to go when I was in the area- walk-ins not really welcome anymore- or for the last few years.... I'm a 50+ time donor and could easily have doubled that over the last years- but alas.....they must be getting enough blood though... read more