MARIETTA — Because of the recent inclement weather and the cancellation of several blood drives throughout the state, blood supplies have dropped to emergency levels, according to the American Red Cross.

April Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross’ Southern Blood Services Region, said the nonprofit organization is particularly worried about their supplies for blood types O negative and B negative.

Phillips said, at optimal levels, Red Cross has a five-day supply of blood. At emergency levels, the Red Cross only has a two-day supply or lower. The Red Cross is the nation’s largest blood provider, and supplies more than 120 hospitals and heath care facilities throughout the state.

Phillips said about 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, but only 8 percent of those people actually donate. Those numbers are even lower in Georgia.

“People just don’t donate as much as they should,” Phillips said.

Phillips said Georgia has a low donation rate because people often don’t know how or where to donate. Metro Atlanta has seven full-time donation facilities, including one in Marietta at the East Lake Shopping Center.

Melanie Duncan of Powder Springs said she began donating blood in 1990 when she was a senior in high school.

“Originally it started as a little friend thing in high school, but now it’s just a passion.”

She said she has known several friends and relatives who have needed transfusions, so donating has become very near to her heart.

Duncan, who works at the corporate headquarters of WellStar in supply chain management, says she even coordinates blood drives at her office and donates every 56 days — as often as she can.

“I think outside the box and I think that’s why my drives are always successful,” Duncan said.

Duncan coordinates movie drives where she shows films throughout the day, themed drives around the holidays and even encourages Red Cross staffers to dress in costumes. During her drives, she averages between 45 and 55 donors.

Duncan encourages everyone to give blood, because it could end up saving a loved one’s life.

Phillips said most healthy people who are at least 17 years old and 110 pounds can give blood. In the state of Georgia, a 16-year-old can give blood with parent permission. Phillips said in order to give blood people have to pass a physical and answer a list of questions, but eligibility can usually be determined on-site by a Red Cross worker within the first 10 minutes of arriving at a clinic or drive.