It’s a busy day at the Biolife Plasma Donation Center in Latham. Just inside the entryway, there’s a bank of computers where prospective donors fill out applications. Every workstation is full.
Once applicants are approved, they’re taken to a treatment area and hooked up to a machine that takes a plasma sample. Then, as compensation for their time, they’re given a BioLife debit card. The amount of money on the card depends on a few factors, but some people walk away from a donation session with a couple hundred dollars.
“They said I didn’t have a permanent home address, so they said I couldn’t do it,” says Kaila Siddon. She was hoping to donate today, but got turned away. “I recently lost my job, so it’s kind of hard to find a job again.” Siddon tells me she’s hoping to raise “a decent amount” from donating plasma – enough to pay rent. She’s living in a hotel at the moment, because she can’t afford to sign a lease…