Donating blood offers the possibility of saving three lives. It is preferable that the person donating blood has a healthy and balanced diet. This healthy and balanced diet must be complemented by numerous foods rich in iron. Iron-rich foods provide the boost needed to donate blood. Saving lives and benefiting the community is the satisfaction of donating blood. Anyone who donates receives a free t-shirt with the Commit for Life slogan. The simple and quick blood donation process gives people the opportunity to continue with their planned program. There is a screening process to check the iron levels of potential donors. Women are encouraged to eat iron-rich foods more often because their iron levels are lower than men. As medical technology continues to advance, there is still no true substitute for blood. This reasoning makes it very important to donate blood when you have the opportunity. In a medical emergency, the most important element is often the availability of blood. Donation provides critical units of blood that help save lives in many states when people need it. About a liter of blood is collected from each donor and this procedure usually takes about five to ten minutes. It takes about a month for donated blood to be replaced. The entire donation process takes about an hour. There are four main blood types: A, B, O and AB. Together they are known as the ABO blood group system. According to the American Red Cross: “Red blood cells carry markers on their surface called antigens that determine a person's blood type. Group A has only antigen A on red blood cells and antibody B in plasma. Group B has only the B antigen on red blood cells and the A antibody in the plasma. AB h group...... middle of paper ......od drive is a non-profit organization from which people benefit greatly. If we did not have a regional blood drive, hospitals would not have enough blood to supply all cancer patients, all people who have recently had an accident, and those who are undergoing or undergoing surgery. Houston is currently experiencing a blood shortage and without blood collection, many lives will be lost. Our hamburger basket will greatly benefit people in need of blood as the number of donations will increase. The reason this will benefit is because burgers will increase iron levels. The main reason so many people sign up to donate blood and are denied a donation is low iron levels. A hamburger with one hundred percent real beef and a bun of whole wheat or white bread will surely increase people's iron levels. Every person who donates saves 3 lives.