ATLANTA– March 1, 2018 — The American Red Cross is recognizing the country’s everyday heroes during Red Cross Month. Today, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal officially proclaimed March as Red Cross month and thanked the Red Cross “on behalf of the 10 million Georgians who depend upon the Red Cross in their time of need.” The Red Cross of Georgia is asking people across the state to become a hero by giving blood, becoming a volunteer or making a donation to #help1family on Giving Day – March 28.
“The Red Cross is powered by our volunteer heroes who give of their time, talents and compassion to fulfill our vital humanitarian mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering,” said Terri Badour, CEO of Georgia’s Red Cross. “They are people from your neighborhood who donate blood, teach First Aid and CPR classes, and support those in need at what may be the worst time in their lives. We honor them during Red Cross Month and ask you to consider joining us in making a difference.”
Right now, devastating floods across multiple Midwest states are forcing thousands of people out of their homes. The American Red Cross has called on volunteers to help including 19 disaster workers from Georgia who have either deployed or will be traveling to impacted areas in the Midwest this week. While deployed, Red Cross volunteers will help to provide comfort and hope, shelter, food and relief supplies to those in need.
WHAT WE DO The Red Cross has been helping people in need for more than 130 years. And much of our work is accomplished through the work of our volunteers. Annually, The Red Cross:
· Responds to nearly 64,000 disasters across the country providing hope and comfort to people in need.
· Trains and provides information to nearly 5.9 million people in first aid, water safety, and other skills that help save lives.
· Collects nearly 4.9 million units of blood from more than 2.8 million volunteer donors to meet the needs of patients at hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.
· Provides nearly 391,000 support services to military members, veterans, and their families.
· Helps more than 181 million people outside the U.S. through disaster management and disease prevention efforts.
March was first proclaimed Red Cross Month in 1943 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to raise awareness of the organization and its humanitarian mission. President Roosevelt’s last radio talk to the nation on March 20, 1945, was in support of the Red Cross War Fund
During Red Cross salutes all the heroes who make a difference in their communities by:
· Donating blood or platelets
· Volunteering to help people impacted by a disaster
· Taking a first aid or CPR class to help in an emergency
· Providing comfort to a member of the military, a veteran or their family
GIVING DAY The Red Cross is asking everyone to support people impacted by disasters and #help1family on Giving Day – Wednesday, March 28. Your donation can help provide hope and urgent relief such as food, blankets and other essentials to people who need it most. Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraising campaign supporting the work of the Red Cross, and helps people across the country in need of emergency assistance. Donate now by visiting redcross.org/givingday, or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10.
More information is available at www.redcross.org/georgia.
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.