(WIBW) - Kansas City-based Community Blood Center is assisting with earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

CBC announced Monday that it is sending blood to Haiti. It is one of 16 blood centers in the U.S. to take such action.

CBC was requested to send 18 units of O positive, four units of A positive, one unit of B positive and two units of O negative. CBC is not charging for the units and will also pay for shipping of the product.

Once the blood leaves Community Blood Center of Kansas City, it will be sent to Community Blood Center of South Florida where it will be repackaged along with other blood donated by other blood banks around the United States. After repackaging, the blood will be sent directly to Pan American Health Organization in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and then will be used to help patients needing life-saving transfusions.

“Community Blood Center’s primary focus is on serving our 73 hospital partners in both Kansas and Missouri," said David Graham, CBC VP of Hospital and Donor Services, "but when the world needs help with natural disasters much like that in Haiti, our donors are always ready to lend a hand or in this case, roll up their sleeve to help another person.”

Community Blood Center currently has a two and a half day supply of blood on its shelves which is allowing the organization to be able to share its life-saving blood with the people of Haiti.

Local citizens interested in donating to Community Blood Center and potential future blood shipments to Haiti should go online to www.savealifenow.org or call 888.647.4040 to book an appointment or learn more about how easy it is to save a life in less than an hour.

CBC has a collection site at 800 Lane in Topeka.