Blood to Pay for Gas

People Giving Blood to Pay for Gas

Business at the ZLB Plasma Service on Cleveland's near west side is booming. The company pays as much as $40 per visit for a donors first four visits, less after that. Each person donating plasma can do that no more than two times a week.
The waiting area is packed with people like Geanie Fox and her boyfriend. "I come here twice a week and I have to, because its like the only place we can get money quickly, for gas." said Fox.
ZLB's parent company tells Fox 8 News donations are up, attributing the increase to what they call the economic downturn.
While many of the donors are regulars, Tialiegh Henry says she just started donating plasma last week, because of what the price of gas has done to her family's budget. "That was my reason for doing it." said Henry, "I just needed the money to fill up my gas tank."
She is far from alone. "If you are out of money and you need gas you can come here and get a little change." said Willie Tyson of Cleveland, who also says the stipend he gets from his donation does not go very far. "I mean it takes all of it at $4.50 a gallon almost."
The increase in donation is a plus for ZLB. The parent company calls it a win-win. Donors get some money in return for their plasma and their time, the company is able to profit from the donation, which can be used for life saving therapy.
The money donors get is not going toward extravagant items though, it is being used to help pay bills.
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