DOWNEY — The American Red Cross will hold four blood drives in Downey next month as it works to fill a critical shortage in type O blood.

Type O blood is the most in-demand blood type, officials said, because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what emergency room personnel reach for when there’s no time to determine a patient’s blood type.

Recent snowstorms and severe weather in many parts of the country have forced hundreds of blood drive cancellations, causing more than 20,000 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected.

People of all blood types are asked to make an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org to donate blood or platelets.

The Red Cross has scheduled the following blood drives in Downey:

• March 10, 8 am to 2 pm: First Baptist Church of Downey.

• March 24, 9 am to 3 pm: St. Raymond’s Catholic Church

• March 25, 8 am to 2 pm: St. Pius X - St. Matthias Academy

• March 26, 8 am to 2 pm: Warren High School