HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — One Huntsville Veteran of Foreign Wars post is working to help local hospitals this month with a blood drive.

Gentry-Isom VFW Post #2702 is partnering with LifeSouth to host a blood drive Saturday, Jan. 21 in honor of National Blood Donor Month. The drive will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the VFW post at 2900 North Memorial Parkway in Huntsville.

Post Commander Jimmie Sapp said the drive is meant to help replenish blood reserves around the area.

“By partnering with LifeSouth and hosting a blood drive, we can serve this community by providing life-saving blood to our local hospitals and their patients,” he said. “We do more for Veterans, and this blood drive is a small part of what we do here at Gentry-Isom VFW Post 2702, in continuing to serve our community at large and Veterans specifically,”

LifeSouth said all blood types are currently needed and that the past year has been especially difficult as the need for blood at local hospitals has increased.

LifeSouth said donors must be 17 years old or 16 years old with parental consent. The organization said that all donors will receive a thank-you gift card, refreshments and a mini-physical.