NEBRASKA -- "The number one reason that someone hasn't donated blood is because they were never asked," said Nebraska Community Blood Bank Marketing Manager Kari Lundeen.

The nation was declared to have been in a blood shortage back in September, with critically low blood supply levels dropping almost 25% since August, according to the American Red Cross.   

Due to the national shortage, states including Nebraska have to become heavily reliant on their residents to stay stocked. 

"The surplus of blood that was available to blood organizations that might need help from other areas, that possibility has greatly decreased and without that national surplus we're heavily reliant on our local donors to help keep that blood supply up and stable," Lundeen said.

Unfortunately the state is struggling to keep up as the Nebraska Community Blood Bank reported a 50% decrease in youth and first-time donors since the start of the pandemic. 

Although, these new donor trends have been seen in the tri-state area of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota according to Life Serve Blood Center. 

"So, we're starting to see that older generation kind of unfortunately age out of donating regularly, and unfortunately our younger generation hasn't really filled that gap," said Life Serve Blood Center Director of Marketing Shay Willis.

Life Serve takes inventory of supply everyday with it being common for 3 or more of the 8 blood types to be critically low. 

O- is critically low for both blood center year-round as it is a universal blood type.  

"So, if someone were to be in a hospital and it was an emergency situation and time was of the essence an O- unit of blood is going to be the first unit grabbed," Willis said.

Life Serve supplies over 160 facilities in the tri-state region, and moves blood within them depending on the type in order to preserve blood life. 

"If there is a unit on a shelf in a rural hospital that's about to expire and it can be used by a different hospital maybe in a bigger city, we try to move them around," Willis said.

Nebraska Community Blood Bank serves over 25 facilities in the state. They haven't had a stable 7-day blood supply in a long time and are facing more obstacles with the sickly season. 

"We've got some extra challenges with cold and flu season upon us, inclement weather can also be a factor when trying to get to a blood drive or a donor center," Lundeen said.

Both blood centers urge current donors to give more if possible, and welcomes new donors as one donation can save up to three lives. 

"Blood is not something that can be recreated in a lab, it's something that we have to receive from generous blood donors," Willis said.