VALENTINE, Neb. -- The American Red Cross is urgently seeking blood donors. The organization says it’s seen a concerning trend—around 20,000 fewer blood donations in just one month.

Shelley Wietzke has made donating blood a priority for 15 years. Usually the Valentine woman makes her potentially live-saving donation during her lunch break.

“From the minute I walk in the door until I leave it’s about an hour,” Wietzke said.

But fewer people across America are rolling up their sleeves. In fact, earlier this year the Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage.

“The really scary thing is we can’t manufacture blood. It has to come from somebody who is healthy to help a patient who is facing what could be the very worst day of their life,” Amanda Wehnes, American Red Cross Account manager.

When Wehnes started working for the Red Cross in 2012, eight out of every 100 people donated blood. Now it’s down to three out of 100.

“We need as many healthy people as we can to come out and donate because every two seconds someone needs blood,” Wehnes said.

Wehnes said the donation drive in Valentine is usually one of the most successful events in the state. The Red Cross will host another drive at the St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Valentine on July 11, and you can bet Wietzke will find that hour in her day to donate.

“It’s not actually painful. You think you’re scared of needles. I was scared of needles when I was a child, but this is very, very simple,” Wietzke said.

A simple process that could save a life.

To find out when the next blood drive is in your area, check out The Red Cross website.