Friday, December 12, 2008 — As the holiday season moves into full swing, the American Red Cross is asking America to join the effort to raise $30 million to help disaster victims before the year ends. On Saturday, December 13, volunteers will take part in the National Day of Giving for the American Red Cross, fanning out in communities across the nation in a one-day effort to collect donations for the Disaster Relief Fund.

You may be spending your days searching for a gift for that person who has everything, but don’t forget about the people in our nation who have lost everything—victims of disaster. Even today, many Texas residents are spending their holidays in temporary homes as they recover from the last big storm of hurricane season, Hurricane Ike. And there are families like that across our nation.

Every day the Red Cross responds to more than 200 disasters across America, from the big tornadoes and hurricanes to the house fires that never make news. Each day the Red Cross is on the scene with food, shelter and comfort.

You can be on the scene too, with a gift to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. It’s simple to do and you can help right now:

• A $5 text message provides a hot meal for a disaster victim.
• A $25 gift buys blankets for a family of five.
• A $75 donation pays for a child to visit the doctor.

The Red Cross is ready for this work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and it is the Disaster Relief Fund that makes it possible. Unfortunately, this fund was depleted due to a disaster-filled 2008: a record-breaking number of tornadoes; the worst flooding in the Midwest in 15 years; a very active hurricane season; wildfires in the West; and the many “silent” disasters, such as the tens of thousands of house fires that occur every year.

During this season for giving, there are many ways you can make a difference:

• Donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund:
  • Go to www.redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS (for Spanish-speakers, 1-800-257-7575).
  • Send contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund to your local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
  • Use your cell phone to donate $5 to the Disaster Relief Fund by text messaging the keyword “GIVE” (4483) to “2HELP” (24357).
• Help the Red Cross during the National Day of Giving on December 13. Contact your chapter for information on local activities.
• Shop in the Red Cross store. The proceeds from many of the products will help support the Disaster Relief Fund.
• Save lives by giving blood. Find a local blood drive by visiting www.givelife.org or calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).

 

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.