If you’re looking for an easy, quick and free way to give back to your community, then make a donation that’s literally as simple as lying back and rolling up your sleeves.

During the summer, Iowa hospitals are in critical need of volunteer blood donors, according to LifeServe Blood Center, a non-profit blood center that serves the needs of local hospitals and patients.

LifeServe is the sole provider of blood to about 120 hospitals in Iowa, or about 90% of hospitals in the state, explains Danielle West, public relations and marketing manager for LifeServe.

So when you donate to a LifeServe blood drive, you are giving locally to your friends, neighbors or family members who may need blood due to an accident or critical illness, West says.

“It’s an easy way to give back to the community, especially if you...