I'm blown away by how everyone at this blood donation location is so incredibly friendly! Very helpful, they answer questions, educate, and are proud of their job and helping people. Whether you've donated blood before or not, I highly recommend checking out the North Lamar location of We Are Blood as they are a first class operation with amazing people that truly care. Thanks for your great staff and the pleasurable experience today in donating blood. read more

We are blood is an amazing place that saves countless lives with donations. The staff is super friendly and the goal is community life saving. Come by and give blood ! read more

We Are Blood - Entrance - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

This We Are Blood location is still excellent! From the initial donor interview to the blood draw, I am always treated with great respect. The phlebotomists are still very responsive to any question or request I have during my donation. The volunteers in the canteen are always genuinely friendly. The donor room's chairs for donors are comfortable, which is nice since my typical platelet donation lasts about 90 minutes. And of course, the snacks are great--come on, who doesn't want some Oreos or chocolate chip cookies? So call and make an appointment! You can make a difference in someone's life with your donation! read more

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Opa's Experience Donating at We Are Blood When disaster strikes and you feel powerless, there is one simple, lifesaving way you can help, donate blood at We Are Blood. Opa has given there several times, and each visit has been nothing short of wonderful. From the moment you step inside, the receptionists greet you with genuine warmth and clear information about the donation process. Even if it's your first time, they'll put you at ease with friendly smiles and patient answers to every question. The intake staff know exactly what they're doing, they guide you through the paperwork efficiently and take the time to ensure you're comfortable before you head to the donation room. In the donation area, the phlebotomists work with quiet confidence and expert precision. Their professionalism shines through in every step, from finding the right vein to offering reassuring words as the needle goes in. Opa has never felt anything less than completely in capable hands. After you've donated, you're invited to relax in the cozy canteen. There's a generous spread of drinks and snacks designed to help you recover your strength, and maybe even indulge a little. At the Austin location on North Lamar Boulevard, Whole Foods generously provides fresh flowers and potted plants, which Opa loves to brings home to score bonus points with Oma! All in all, donating at We Are Blood is a smooth, uplifting experience. It's a chance to give back, to feel like a true community superhero when emergencies strike, and to enjoy the kindness of everyone on staff. If you're looking for a meaningful way to help your neighbors, and make a difference, grab an appointment at We Are Blood and join Opa in saving lives. read more

I finally got around to donating blood in assuring and I couldn't be happier with We Are Blood. One of the cleanest and friendliest facilities I've been to. The front staff made me feel warm and welcomed and the staff member who did my intake and did my vitals was really nice! I unfortunately wasn't able to donate in the Alyx machine since I developed a hematoma on my arm but I'm coming back asap! Even though I had to stop donating, they let me grab some snacks and the two people in charge of the canteen made me feel so much better about not being able to donate. One of them told me how almost every time she goes to donate the same thing happens with her. It was nice to know that there's others who are in my position. You guys have got to go with We Are Blood for donations, super good people! read more

We Are Blood - Front of building - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great location and easy to get an appointment. I've done double red before and they tore my arm up but I thought new place and give it another chance. They were very professional and no bruising. Got me first stick and was done in 30 mins. Offered me snacks and water during and after which was awesome and even gave me free movie tickets for donating. Great place for a great cause! read more

We Are Blood - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Didn't get my blood drawn from here but had an experience with an employee driving the mobile bus. He came off a bit entitled and demanding about a parking spot that I was in hours before they arrived. Came to my door and knocked on the glass to get me to pull up because he "needed" to park where I was at. (Mind you there were no signs or notifications around the area that they would be parking there or I wouldn't have parked there to begin with.) I moved with no issue but I want people and staff to know that PLEASE and THANK YOU will go a long way in this world. read more

Please Donate !!!! I loved this place - everything was well organized, the process was really speedy and everything got cleaned immediately after I used it - so super covid cautious! All the employees were so nice and the volunteer at the canteen was just the sweetest. My only qualm is that the phlebotomist that drew my blood seemed really impatient to get to the end of her shift and seemed pretty annoyed at the fault that my blood was draining pretty slow :/. Anyways, can't wait to come back and donate again!! read more

We Are Blood - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

We Are Blood Austin's local, home-grown non profit blood banking system and it's an excellent one! Since the pandemic, donations must go through their online appointment system. Their website is well designed and your profile is easily navigable. They make the process convenient and painless as possible up until they stick your arm! After you donate, you're lead to the drink and snack area where it's always well stocked. Often times there are special treats like a pint of blue bell ice cream or flower bouquets from HEB for you. A nice courtesy service they do is run labs for hemoglobin level and total cholesterol and upload to your profile along with your vital signs so it's a nice way of seeing how your data trends- and maybe it's an early wake up call to go see your PCP! read more

Great central Texas blood collection organization. There are several centers and mobile units. Pro tip look at the sites by date they are open and pick one that matches. read more

No. Not We Are Blood. They Are Blood. We Are Bleeders. In more ways that one. Excellent phlebotomists here. I guess if that's all you do, you have to be good at it, although I can testify that not everyone who sticks needles in arms all day long to draw pints knows what they're doing. It's the holiday season. There's a bigger need for donors at this time of year, simply because most people are giving the green stuff, not the red stuff. Sadly, there are no holidays for those who need blood. Bonus: When you're done, you get to hang out for a bit in the "recovery room", which is chock-full of free drinks and snacks. Sometimes they have events like trivia challenges to relieve the boredom of being parked while your body adjusts to loss of fluids. Please give generously. Lives depend on it. read more

The only problems with this organization is that they don't have green Gatorade any more - only red - and their name is a bit repetitive. Aside from those two small challenges, they rule. I go to the Center at 45th and Lamar to do Apheresis - give platelets. The rooms are pretty comfortable. The staff is great. They've changed over most of their questions to the computer so you don't have to waste time talking over the same old questions with someone new. They'll give you an id card to scan so you don't have to reenter too much stuff each visit. Because Apheresis takes longer than giving blood, they'll lend you movies and a little dvd player. They play great music in there as well. I had only one terrible experience there. Then, when a lady called me to recruit me the next time, I told her about it. I had promised myself I wouldn't give blood until my bruise had completely healed. Next thing I knew, the manager was calling me to follow up. She listened carefully to my whole story. For my next appointment, I reminded them that I couldn't work with the ironically named Joy who had ruined my last visit. That's when I found out she no longer worked there. Happy Ending! If you give enough, they put your name on the wall. If you donate on the right days, they give you free ice cream. I really enjoy the all-you-can drink snack bar. Plus, you can get cool prizes with your points if you join their reward system. I've gotten HEB cards worth $10 and $25 over the years. You can also get cool shirts and pins to show off your donations. Last time, they were giving away shirts either in Aggie Maroon or Longhorn Orange. Brilliant. If you want to try Apheresis, ask for Rick. He is The Most Gentle Blood Drawer you could hope for. read more

Easy to schedule and easy to donate! Great staff! I had no idea they had so many locations.

I just gave blood today...I want to say everyone was AWESOME. Especially Violet who was excellent and very professional. You all need to clone her. Thank you all for a great start to my day. Barry W read more

Why is it that blood donation employees seem so off-putting under first impression? I don't know if I'm already on edge knowing that I'm going to get a pound of blood sucked out of me or what, but they just aren't as friendly and warm as I need them to be in times like these. And it's not just this place, I've had this experience many many times from many many people who have taken blood out of me in the past. And the personal questions that they ask? And the speed that they ask them? Sheesh. I know that job must get old, but there's got to be a less robotic way of going through that process. I guess I would just like more professional attitudes when exposing my blood to foreign objects is concerned. Other than that, the girl who ended up doing the actual donation was nice enough and got the job done. **Safety note: don't walk up two flights of stairs after donating blood unless you're ready for the internal lights to go out. Don't say I never warned you! read more

We Are Blood - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Silvia in a raspy voice, "Thomas, this is Silvia from the Blood and Tissue Center. We have babies being born and we need your blood. The babies really need your blood. Thee babies need your blood." Been giving ever since I found out that "the babies" need my blood. Jim took my blood on my most recent visit. Out of curiosity I asked if they really did need my blood. I have O neg neg which means I am O negative and negative for the Cytomegalovirus (CMV). This means my blood is ideal for new borns. Jim shared that they really use O neg neg blood the first week they have it specifically for newborns ... and since Dell's Children's hospital is in Austin they pretty much always use it in the first week after it has been drawn. Tip: Drink plenty of water before you give blood. read more

A disorganized mess. Go somewhere else if you value your time whatsoever. Fun fact! We Are Blood once turned me away for showing up late to my appointment. "We have a strict schedule." Okay, annoying (I'm going out of my way to donate my blood to you). But understandable. Except it doesn't go two ways: I've been sitting here waiting for half an hour past my appointment time to give blood. Even doctors see me faster, and I'm paying them. I can see and hear quite a few employees doing morning while multiple donors wait. Get it together. I would recommend you donate your blood to an organization that can see you in a timely manner. Unless you really enjoy waiting rooms I guess. read more

I am writing this review to bring some awareness of what I've gone through the last few weeks. I scheduled an appointment exactly 2 weeks ago and I still don't have feeling in my forearm down to my wrist. Being a frequent gym goer I am a very vascular man. unfortunately I don't know the name of the nurse at the south Lamar location ( heavy set younger white lady) that attempted to draw my blood but as she attempted to draw she punctured what I would guess was either a tendon or a nerve that sent an excruciating pain through my arm down the tip of my fingers. She then attempted over and over again to hit my vein with no luck. She then left me to get another nurse to help in which she was unable to find a vein either. The pain was overwhelming and I've had blood drawn and Iv's many times. I lost feeling in my forearm and haven't been able to use it properly ever since. When I called all I was told was to put ice on it. I'm currently unable to see a doctor because my insurance doesn't start till November. I am concerned there may be some nerve damage but have to wait to see a doctor. Just make sure to ask for a nurse with experience because this one obviously didn't I will tell you this will be the last time I EVER donate blood read more

In times of trouble with the weight of the world bearing down on our weary souls it's easy to get discouraged. We rise above despair. We get involved and be the change. It's what makes us a beacon of hope. We can all do better. Start simple. Donate blood. Vote. Help out a stranger. Hold the door for someone. Share the load. Kiss babies. Pet kittens. Call your fam. Put down the seat. Master the art of compromise. You get my drift. We all need someone we can lean on. The fine folks at We Are Blood are happy to help you get your lean on. And if you want it, you can.... Seriously short waits for the comfy chair. A little pinprick and it's a short hop skip jump to the canteen where await all manner of multitudinous mountains of cookies, snacks, and recovery dranks flow out pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain. The very thought makes me get all Norman Batesish and wanna cry out "Blood! Mother! Blood!" But that kinda crazy talk will get ya busted. So.... Ya'll and yr mom & 'ems all need to heed my bold suggestion and get thee down to We Are Blood, roll up that sleeve, and share some precious life energy juice like the good citizen you know you are and aspire to be. read more

I am an O- donor, which means I interact with this blood center ALOT. I basically try to donate everytime I can. The staff here has always been nothing but friendly. They make you feel really amazing when you donate and kind of make you feel like a hero (which you are! Donate today!). Helpful staff and a clean waiting room/cantina makes this my favorite blood center I have ever donated at. read more

We Are Blood - They got me pretty wrapped up here and in n out quickly! - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

I had the pleasure of donating blood for my first time ever . My company had set up the mobile service to come in for the donations . Despite being extremely nervous , I was drawn by Jacob C. He was efficient , professional and really funny . Kudos for calming my nerves and a great experience ! I was then taken care of by another phlebotomist. Unfortunately, I did not catch her name but she was amazing and so sweet. I walked out feeling back to normal after a pretty dizzy spell . You guys were amazing :) read more

Staff barely friendly. Very little COVID precautions taken. Everyone uses the same pen iPad, door handles, and beds with NO WIPE DOWN in between. Staff sit on the beds of the bus and talk to each other, ignoring the donor. Window sills filthy! Gives me little confidence that the blood is cared for properly. Not going back. read more

I went here to donate blood as part of a community service project with my Rotary club. I've donated before but not in Austin so I had to go through the orientation process again. The staff is very friendly and I didn't have to wait long. I like that everything is automated and I was in and out within 40 minutes or so. Plus, they have great snacks and beverages in the recovery room! read more

We Are Blood - Snacks! - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

I drove an hour from home because I received an email saying they need blood. And they turned me away because the strips of paper didn't read my temperature at all 3 times... that is such a waste of course I HAVE a temperature!! Just because you're little strips don't show anything doesn't mean anything. Why not try a real thermometer and not waste people's time. I have given at other locations with no problem. She had me take my temp myself the first time. Second time I asked if it needed to be a certain way, she said yes dots up. Third time she called someone and they said to put the dots down. She still put them up. You'd think they'd try a little harder if they really needed it and I went to the effort to drive an hour here. read more

The place was super clean and the post-donation snacks were great. One woman was super nice and friendly and I wish I remembered her name to call her out here :-) They ask for photo ID and verification of your name, address and DOB repeatedly by 3 different people, a form and a computer survey. Ok, not sure why since there is no compensation for it and they test your blood anyway, but ok, it is your procedure, all good. The person who drew my blood must have been having a bad day. When I gave my 'full legal name' I omitted the middle name I have not used in 40 years. I had no idea it was on my license and the other two people didnt seem to care. She was SO annoyed with me. Full legal name. LP FULL legal name. LP. FULL legal name. uhhhh LP. Ann. Excuse me? Is your middle name Ann? oh, yes. Well THAT is your full legal name. Okaaaaay.... The volunteer in the post-donation room was an absolute ray of sunshine. I want to give blood again tomorrow just to eat Nutter Butter cookies and see her smile. read more

Doing a good deed has never been so easy! They show up where I work, ask me some questions about my travel habits and sex life, take some blood while I watch reruns of "The Office", and offer all the snacks I want. My blood goes to a new home and another life saved. Bam! read more

If twilight, true blood and interview with the vampire have taught us anything, it's that we don't need all this blood. So I got a bug up my ass about donating blood and called them to set up an appointment the next day. Instead of recounting my entire experience, here are some things that may be useful to know: 1. They have wireless!! 2. The check in process is super easy & you take the quiz on a computer & then do a series of really short tests 3. You are immediately whisked into the donation room where, if you're lucky, you're greeted and helped by Mary who is fabulous and has some rad tattoos peeking out from her sleeve. 4. The needle is relatively painless, you pump on this stress ball deal and you can sit there and watch movies on your laptop (platelet donation can take a while) or just catch up on your email, twitter. 5. Then you go into the canteen where they feed you all kinds of awesome cookies and popcorn and drinks like cocoa, OJ, sprite and DC. Everyone here is incredibly nice, efficient and interested in what they're doing. Take your lunch hour to donate blood. You'll be doing good in the easiest way possible read more

Hooray for the Blood and Tissue Center for providing the wonderful services they provide to keep people happy and healthy. They just make it SO easy to give blood. They schedule appointments, all their employees are ultra nice and very efficient, and they do everything they can to make the process as quick and painless as possible. They also dispatch mobile blood donation crews for blood drives on location. And they give donors points to cash in for prizes and provide donors with lots of yummy goodies to help replenish their blood stock right after donating. I gave blood today at one of their mobile donation sites, and had a very cute, pre-med phlebotomist. If he could be my phlebotomist every time, I would totally give blood as often as possible. When I'm 90, I fully plan to be a dirty old woman leering at men who are half or a quarter my age...I'm hoping that if I'm at least donating blood in the process, it will cancel out any bad karma associated with my imaginary cradle-robbing. So thanks, Blood and Tissue Center, for giving me a perfectly legitimate excuse to share bodily fluids with a cute, younger man! read more

Yay! My iron was high enough to donate again! I was ready to donate on a Sunday (thanks to a tasty burger the night before). I made an appointment, although I don't think it's totally necessary. The people were very friendly and able to answer a lot of random questions that I had for them. (about choosing where blood can go, about platelet donations, about taking aspirin the day before) The finger prick was still the worst part. The woman (and dang it if I don't remember her name!) who did the poking and blood-drawing did a very good job of it. She advised me to look away if I was bothered by needles and it hardly hurt at all. The volunteer who brought me hot cocoa was very sweet. This locale has a lot more going on than the south one (where I normally go), but if I'm up this way again, I'd have no problem going back. And I still can't wait to spend my donor points. read more

How do you review a blood bank? I'm not sure, but I'll give it a try anyway, because it's Yelp and you're supposed to review places. First, they do try to make it as easy as possible to donate from online scheduling to answering all of those semi-private and personal questions on a computer. And the donation process is pretty painless. Just a quick finger stick for them to check the iron in your blood, then a poke with a needle to draw the blood. It really only takes about 20 minutes and it makes a difference for someone else's life. Having said that, though, I thought you got drinks and cookies? I have when I've donated blood before. This time, they just told me, "Ok, you're done." read more

How can you not feel great about saving a life? They even come to my work! And their ad campaign right now is really great. Minus one star for these infractions: * They once almost killed me by draining too much blood (okay, okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was my first time and I got really lightheaded) * The overly dramatic call I received once about the dying 4 year old girl that was in desperate need of blood. Geez, ya just have to ask-no need to make a Lifetime Movie out of it. * I'm occasionally denied for not meeting the weight requirement or not having enough red blood cells. read more

I was super impressed by the whole process. Everything worked like clockwork. I didn't even have an appointment, yet I was not kept waiting at any point for more than 60 seconds. VERY friendly and knowledgeable staff. Excellent selection of drinks and snacks afterward. Giving blood couldn't be any easier. Cudos to this place! read more

We Are Blood - Don't worry about the yellow stain on my arm -- it's only an iodine disinfectant. - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Want to meet cool people, do a good thing and get some free stuff? Give blood. After using the mobile donor van earlier in the year I switched to the Blood & Tissue Center as it is blocks from my house and I can hit it on the way home from work. Scheduling your donor time ahead on line guarantees a minimal wait (if any) and you're in and out pretty quick. After donating you're asked to sit in the recovery area and have some juice and cookies, easily the most fun part of the visit. Its not unusual to meet other cool peeps in there and have a nice conversation with them while munching. And, once in a while, a local store sends flowers or gift cards over for donors to take home - who knows? You might get one. The only thing keeping this from five stars (for me) is that the people (receptionist, medical tech, phlebotomy techs) can be a little impersonal and tired at times. Like many health care settings, sometimes they just get worn out. For what its worth, the mobile teams seems a little more fun so if that's a big deal for you, look up their schedules on line as well. But, if your focus is giving blood and not customer service, there's no reason the Blood and Tissue Center won't be just fine. read more

I have to say, out of all the blood banks in all the world, this one is A-OK by me. Although Sasha highlights the donation of goods for money, their most common clients are pure old fashion volunteers who enjoy being pricked for 15 minutes while they squeeze a stress ball. The staff is friendly and calm as they read off 100 questions about your medical history. Too often have I answered incorrectly because I'm used to proudly saying "NO" to the previous 20 questions. It goes something like this: "Do you use IV drugs?" "No" "Do you have HIV" "No" "Do you have bone marrow disease" "No" "Do you like long walks on the beach?" "No. I mean yes, I mean... what??" My one gripe with the center is that they seriously harass you for blood when you don't show up every 3 months. When I'm too busy to head over, they call just about every other night. But, hey, at least they're not asking for money. Oh yeah, and remember, one donation of blood saves three lives! Do it for your karma. read more

Great feeling to donate Blood , just knowing it could save a Life . Place was clean , Staff was very friendly and the goodies are great I will be back next month , anybody want to go. read more

I've donated blood only twice in my life, both times at the Blood and Tissue Center, and can't speak highly enough of the experience. I was very nervous the first time I went in, but they staff and volunteers were both professional and reassuring. Their donor website makes it really easy to schedule appointments and keep track of your donation history, including tracking your health check stats, They also offer a number of perks like shirts and other swag that you can take advantage of for frequent donations. Nothing has hurt as much as I expected it to, and the worst part of the whole experience was likely my own nerves. If you are reading this and are on the fence about donating blood, I highly recommend giving this place a try. They make it really easy to want to become a regular! read more

Every 2 seconds, someone in the US needs blood products. Pretty scary, huh? But in just 20 minutes, you can save several peoples' lives. I have donated here many times, and everyone there is great. One time, I was a little dehydrated before coming in (whoops!), and after I was done, I got really dizzy. The phlebotomist quickly laid me back down, and someone else went and got a cool washcloth for my forehead. They were very attentive and watched me like hawks until I felt better. A few tips to make your donation experience easier: HYDRATION IS KEY! If you're even a little bit dehydrated, it will take forever to donate, and you will feel horrible afterward. Eat pineapple the night before. It prevents bruising. Bring a jacket... it's a bit chilly in there. read more

I'm kind of a big deal at the Blood and Tissue Center. I have what they call Baby's Blood which is O- combined with being CMV- so it can be given to premie babies and other immuno-compromised patients. Ironically, me and some of my other friends who fit in this category are some of Austin's legendary barflies and I don't know how we maintain this healthy status year after year. So I show up every 8 weeks to donate my pint, have some fig newtons and oreos, and do 1/3 of a crossword puzzle. The phlebotomists are generally excellent (a couple are quite cute too) and I've only had one difficult experience in about 30 bloodlettings. Their Hands of the Donor program is cool too, I've earned a great back pack and and a folding chair, I'm about four visits away from the rolling cooler. That'll be great at the set up bars. read more

I went here to donate blood and this is my experience. [pros/cons] Format. Pros: *It didn't take long to get seen as I made an appointment which was a plus. After I did the paper work I was almost instantly seen. *Most of the staff was nice and easy going. *After giving blood they had a nice waiting area with plentiful snacks. I even noticed they had gluten free stuff. Cons: * I went about two weeks ago and still have yet to receive results from my blood test. *It's two weeks later and I still have a large nasty bruise from where they drew blood. *I could barely move my arm for at least two days because of the pain. *The person questioning me about my medical history acted suspicious like I was hiding something, It was like an interrogation more than just questioning. read more

I've only donated in the bus, not at the center. But the people were really nice, and the bus was surprisingly roomy and comfortable. When I moved out to Texas, I was very apprehensive about donating somewhere new (always used the Red Cross in Atlanta), but I decided to get over myself and do it. And I'm really, REALLY glad I did. It was my best blood donation experience yet! If/when I go to the center, I'll update. read more