A new blood donation center has opened its doors in Brooklyn after being on a five-year hiatus.  

Dozens of New York Blood Center representatives and elected officials joined together in Downtown Brooklyn at the grand opening of the official Brooklyn blood donor center, the 18th of its kind to open in the tri-state area.  

Brooklyn’s blood center on Willoughby Street was forced to shut its doors in 2018, forcing the New York Blood Center to partner with local businesses to use their spaces for donation drives.  

The new center is on Flatbush Avenue and boasts some new features, like TVs with streaming services to make for a more enjoyable environment for donors.  

The center also features a mural from Brooklyn-based street artist Vince Ballentine, who included local blood donors and recipients in the mural.  

The opening of this center comes at a critical time, as sources say our region is suffering from a blood shortage. This is the fifth blood emergency to be announced this year.