ANCHORAGE MONDAY, APRIL 24— National Volunteer Week is April 23-29 and the American Red Cross, The Red Cross of Alaska is honoring its volunteers who give their time to help people in need.

Nearly 314,000 volunteers serve the organization, volunteering at veterans hospitals, teaching people lifesaving skills such as First Aid and CPR, responding to home fires in the middle of the night and so much more. Here in Alaska, 644 Red Cross volunteers help the community.

“We want to take this time during Volunteer Week to thank our volunteers for their service,” said Paton Stott, Volunteer Services Officer, Red Cross of Alaska. “They help us fulfill our lifesaving mission every day, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude for their service.”

In fiscal year 2016, Red Cross of Alaska volunteers provided food, shelter, comfort and hope to 608 individuals who faced emergency situations. They installed 1,425 smoke alarms statewide and educated 2,344 youth through our Pillowcase Project. Additionally, they exchanged 796 emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families through the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces.

The Red Cross invites the public to be a part of the lifesaving work it does and to sign up to volunteer. People can go to redcross.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities and how to submit a volunteer application.

The Red Cross Home Fire Campaign offers volunteers the opportunity to help us reduce the number of home fire injuries and deaths by 25 percent over the next several years. In communities across the country, volunteers are going door-to-door with local partners to install smoke alarms and teach people about home fire safety. Since the Home Fire Campaign started, it has been credited with saving at least 215 lives. Volunteers have already installed more than 702,000 smoke alarms in more than 9,100 cities and towns across the United States.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.