Red Cross Month is observed annually throughout March. All month, 10 On Your Side will be sharing inspiring stories that highlight how the humanitarian organization is making a difference. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The American Red Cross will be introducing a new, noninvasive way to screen blood be ginning in April. "The the Red Cross is going to a new noninvasive health screening," said Jenny Lester, regional philanthropy officer for the American Red Cross. "So instead of the old needle stick, which actually does kind of hurt more than the actual the blood drawing itself, we'll be going to a monitoring system. So it'll just be a little device that goes on your finger and checks for your hemoglobin levels and health screens." The American Red Cross is hopeful the new process will help increase blood donations, especially with the partnership it has with Virginia Oncology Associates, with a unified goal to help save lives. Red Cross Month: How its animal visitation program brings comfort to military This ongoing work aids the community in dozens of stem cell transplants. And without this joint effort many patients would have no access to this form of care, according to Virginia Oncology Associates Physician Dr. Gary Simmons. "It helps collect the stem cells out of our patients and the cellular therapies out of our patients," Simmons said. "And they work with manufacturing and cell processing and storage in the cells." There is ongoing shortage for blood donations nationwide, including in Hampton Roads. "I can't express the the need for blood," Lester said. "And with the weather we just had the snowstorm, hundreds of blood drives were canceled. So we're kind of trying to catch up from that." You can donate blood as young as 16 years old with parental consent. If you would like to donate blood to the Red Cross, click here for more information to sign up. ...read more read less