EUREKA, Calif. -- There is an urgent need for type O+ donations as the Northern California Community Blood Bank has reached low levels following the holidays.

The Northern California Community Blood Bank is experiencing a blood shortage and is urgently asking for donations of O+ blood.

"Basically because of an increased local usage at our hospitals, O+ blood type is also the most common blood type, so we see it being used more frequently, and O+ blood is a very important blood type because it could be used for all of the positive donors, so it is essentially the universal positive blood type," said Northern California Community Blood Bank Director of Donor Resources, Kyle Windham.

Inventory was stressed by the increased demand during the holiday season, resulting in a shortage.

With January being National Blood Donor Month, the Blood Bank hopes they can start the new year with increased donations and collect as much blood possible to save lives.

"The goal for the upcoming year is just to collect as much blood as humanly possible," said Windham. "We collect blood, we save lives, we send it out, so we are encouraging any blood donor, all blood donors that come in the month of January, donate blood, and save a life. "

The Blood Bank says it is important that individuals with o positive blood to donate as soon as possible to help replenish the supply so that patients in need can receive lifesaving care and transfusions.

"I can see it going away in about a week, we have to test all the blood before we can use it, before we can send it out for transfusions," said Windham. "So there is always a little bit of a delay or a lag with the testing to be able to go into actual use."