The Southern Tier Chapter of the Red Cross is hosting a Readiness Expo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 19, at the Bath VFW Auxiliary 1470 located at 7230 state Route 54 in Bath.

The Red Cross last declared a blood shortage 18 months ago, Welch said, which was related to the COVID-19 pandemic as numerous drives were canceled or faced shorter hours and more restrictions.

The American Red Cross’s national blood inventory dropped by more than 25 percent in the month of July, driven in part by extreme heat throughout the country, the organization announced Monday.