Nick Canedo, vice president of community outreach at We Are Blood, said the nonprofit is the sole provider of blood, platelets and plasma for approximately 50 hospitals across Central Texas.
We Are Blood has four Central Texas centers where donors can donate blood—two in Austin, one in Round Rock and another in Cedar Park.
The Cedar Park donation center opened in 2022, a move that Canedo said is part of We Are Blood’s ongoing effort to keep up with local hospitals’ demand for blood.
“The biggest part of our mission these days is keeping up with the exponential growth that we’ve seen in the Central Texas community,” Canedo said. “It’s up to us to ensure that we’re scaling our operations.”
However, brick-and-mortar donation centers are only part of We Are Blood’s collection efforts. Canedo said most of the nonprofit’s donations actually come from mobile blood drives.
We Are Blood partners with an array of businesses, cities and other entities to regularly bring blood drives to communities across 10 Central Texas counties. For example, the Pflugerville Public Library hosts a drive with We Are Blood every month.
Still, Canedo said it is important that We Are Blood continues to expand its physical facilities as well. He said the organization has its eye on southward expansion, bolstering its presence in the San Marcos and Kyle areas.
As the demand for donations continues to grow with Central Texas’ population, Canedo said he hopes to show people that giving blood isn’t as scary as some might think.
“It’s pretty painless and also really brief. ... So it’s a small part of your day, and you’re making a real life-saving difference for a patient in need in Central Texas,” Canedo said.
We Are Blood Round Rock Donation Center
2132 N. Mays St., Ste. 900, Round Rock
512-206-1266
www.weareblood.org
Hours: Mon.-Tue. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat. 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; closed Wed.-Thu., Sun.
