Red Cross Month kicks off to honor community heroes

Join the annual celebration by donating on Red Cross Giving Day (March 27), giving blood, volunteering or taking a lifesaving skills course

The American Red Cross this week is kicking off its annual Red Cross Month celebration beginning March 1 to honor local community heroes who help ensure their neighbors never face crises alone.

Red Cross Month is a national tradition that began in March 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation — and each U.S. president has followed ever since.

“During Red Cross Month in March, we are proud to honor the people who deliver care and hope when help can’t wait during emergencies,” said American Red Cross President and CEO Gail J. McGovern. “Whether it’s volunteering, donating blood or platelets, giving financially or saving a life with first aid and CPR skills, these community heroes provide a beacon of hope in people’s darkest hours. Please join in their commitment to help ensure no one faces a crisis alone.”

Join the Red Cross Month celebration by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation, give blood or platelets, become a volunteer or take a lifesaving skills course. Those who donate at redcross.org/givingday on March 27 will be part of the 10th annual Red Cross Giving Day, which aims to rally 30,000 supporters nationwide to help provide shelter, food, relief items, emotional support and other assistance for people affected by disasters big and small.

This March, the public is urged to book a time to donate blood or platelets now as we continue to strengthen the blood supply heading into spring. Much like pets provide comfort and support, so does the Red Cross in local communities. As a thank-you for providing comfort during Red Cross Month, all who come to give blood or platelets March 1-24 will get a $10 e-gift card to a pet supply merchant of choice, plus automatically be entered for a chance to win a $3,000 gift card. There will be five winners. See rcblood.org/Pets for details.

ADVANCING CLARA BARTON’S LEGACY Since Clara Barton — one of the most honored women in U.S. history — founded the American Red Cross more than 140 years ago, generations of volunteers, donors and other supporters have advanced its lifesaving mission while addressing people’s emerging needs. Today, this includes:

• CLIMATE DISASTERS: In addition to being the hottest year on record, the U.S. experienced an all-time high of 28 billion-dollar-plus disasters in 2023 that ravaged communities and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from severe storms, floods and wildfires. To help families cope, the Red Cross distributed $125 million in direct financial assistance after disasters of all sizes. This is on top of providing safe shelter, nutritious meals and emotional support on a near-constant basis for last year’s worsening extreme disasters.
  

• BLOOD DONATIONS: Today, the Red Cross is inviting and welcoming more diverse donors into its blood mission to help better serve patients in need of lifesaving blood transfusions. In the past year, it has welcomed newly eligible members of the LGBTQ+ community in response to new FDA guidance, which eliminated eligibility questions based on sexual orientation. In addition, through the Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative, the number of Black or African American blood donors has increased by half to 4% to help meet the needs of sickle cell warriors.
  

• LIFESAVING TRAINING: When moments matter, being trained to respond in an emergency can help save a life. March is the perfect time to enroll in first aid, CPR and AED classes. Last year, more than 5.85 million people enrolled in these training courses, and 430 individuals received National Red Cross Lifesaving Awards for helping to save 222 lives.

• GLOBAL CRISES: As part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, the American Red Cross supports relief operations for international disasters by providing support like cash assistance, food, shelter, basic supplies, medical care and mental health services. As devastating conflicts persist in parts of the world, the global Red Cross Movement continues to provide aid for people suffering as part of its neutral, humanitarian mission.

• MILITARY FAMILIES: From the first day of enlistment, service members and their families are eligible for Red Cross assistance, such as morale and wellness activities and emergency communications messages with loved ones during times of family need. This support is provided by a network of Red Cross volunteers on all military installations in the U.S. and on more than 35 overseas installations, ranging from deployment zones to military hospitals. Following military service, the Red Cross also provides lifesaving support at veterans’ hospitals across the country.