Media Contact:
Ashley Henyan
(843) 571-8945
Ashley.Henyan@redcross.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Red Cross continues support of disaster activity, need for blood remains constant
As National Volunteer Month begins, around two dozen DMV-area volunteers are supporting disaster relief activity in California, Mississippi, Arkansas and Delaware, and threats of serve weather continue this week.
WASHINGTON, DC, April 3, 2023— Red Cross of the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region disaster workers are currently helping families impacted by severe weather that tore through parts of Delaware on April 1, 2023. In collaboration with emergency management partners, teams are assisting approximately 10 families with essential services including food, water, financial resources, emotional support and the replacement of medications, all according to need.
“Amid string after string of tornado activity in the South, this weekend showed us disaster can also strike close to home,” said Dale Kunce, CEO for the Red Cross in the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region. “I urge DMV-area residents to download the free Red Cross emergency app and sit down and talk with their household about what to do in case of an emergency, like a tornado.”
All Red Cross assistance is free and those with disaster-caused needs should call 1-800-Red Cross for support.
Red Cross disaster teams continue delivering help and hope across the South, supporting people impacted by the recent devastating tornadoes. Hundreds of disaster workers, including around one dozen volunteers from the DMV-area, are working with Red Cross partners to make sure everyone has a safe place to stay, meals, emotional support and comfort in the face of these deadly tornadoes.
The string of atmospheric rivers that have impacted California have left behind record-breaking amounts of snow and flooded many communities. Hundreds of Red Crossers from all over the country have been helping in California since these atmospheric rivers began to hit the state in late December of last year. Right now, 47 of 58 counties in the state are operating under a state of emergency.
Eight trained disaster workers from the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake region are currently in California and working with local and state officials and help ensure people get the assistance they need.
“It’s my first deployment and I raised my hand to go because I come from a migrant family,” said Baltimore-area resident, Reynaldo Vega. “I understand these communities and what they are going through and it is extremely tragic. I just had to travel across the country and do my part to help.”
The Need For Blood is Constant: Exclusive Snoopy T-shirt for coming to donate April 1-23.
Throughout the year, the need for blood is constant and the Red Cross relies on compassionate donors to collect 40% of the nation’s blood supply. The ability for the Red Cross to collect blood can often become challenging in areas impacted by disaster—especially when blood drives are cancelled due to damaged roads and infrastructure and during times of wide-spread power outages. This is why it is so important that those eligible to donate blood living outside areas of disaster impact make an appointment to give.
Don’t wait until there’s a crisis to give – donors of all blood types, especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed now to keep the blood supply strong enough to support critical patient care all season long.
People coming together to care for one another is the humanitarian spirit shared by the Red Cross community and PEANUTS. Donors are encouraged to take a page from the comic strips that have charmed generations and take care of one another by making a blood or platelet donation.
Book a time to give by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
As a thank-you, all who come to give April 1-23 will receive an exclusive Red Cross and PEANUTS T-shirt featuring Snoopy as the coolest beagle in town, Joe Cool, while supplies last.
* Those who come to give April 1-30 will be automatically entered for a chance to win a three-night trip for two to Sonoma County, California. This getaway includes flights, hotel, a $1,000 gift card and special tours of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Snoopy’s Home Ice, courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide.
To find upcoming blood donation opportunities during National Volunteer Month, enter your zip-code at RedCrossBlood.org
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
About Peanuts:
The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz, who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.