Blood donations are planned for June in Belleville, Nutley

New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, is conducting blood drives in Essex County, which are open to the public.

The following drives are scheduled in June:

June 12: Knights of Columbus 2346, 150 Chestnut St., Nutley, 1 to 7 p.m.

June 18: Igreja Universal, Newark, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

June 22: Livingston Mall, 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston, 1 to 7 p.m.

June 27: IDT Corp., 550 Broad St, Newark, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 29: American Legion Post 105, 621 Washington Ave., Belleville 1 to 7 p.m.

Blood products have a short shelf life –from five to 42 days, so constant replenishment is necessary, according to a press release from NJBS, which said there are patients who depend on the transfusion of red blood cells, platelets and plasma to stay alive.

Blood and blood products can’t be manufactured. They can only come from volunteer blood donors who take an hour to attend a blood drive or visit a donor center.

To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive call 1-800933-2566 or visit: www.nybloodcenter.org

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive. NYBC also offers special community service scholarships for students who organize community blood drives during summer months.

Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit level.

Eligible donors include those people at least age 16, with parental permission or consent, who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People over 75 may donate with a doctor's note.

NJ Transit is partnering with Uber and Lyft on a pilot program allowing Access Link users to opt in to receiving rides through the two services.

With this new partnership, Uber and Lyft drivers will now be available to supplement Access Link services as needed only if the customer opts in to utilize the pilot program, according to a press release from NJ Transit.

Customers who do not opt into the pilot program will continue to have all of their trips serviced by the current Access Link providers. Participation in the pilot program is strictly voluntary.

Prior to scheduling a trip, Access Link customers in the Riders’ Choice Pilot Program must update their profile to indicate which rideshare service, Uber or Lyft, they would like to use. Customers also have the option to indicate they have no preference and are willing to utilize both providers, the release said.

Access Link is NJ TRANSIT's American with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit program established to provide public transportation to people with disabilities who are unable to utilize local bus services.

“By adding Uber and Lyft as travel options, we will improve the Access Link travel experience for our customers while making it more cost effective for NJ Transit,” said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett.

Jen Shepherd, global head of transit at Uber said the partnership with NJ TRANSIT will help cut down on wait time and improve reliability for Access Link riders.

AJ