During the holidays, bring comfort and hope to people in need

Atlanta, November 20, 2018 — In a year when disasters upended the lives of thousands of people, Georgia’s Red Cross is asking everyone to Give Something that Means Something for families in need through its 2018 Holiday Giving Campaign.

“Every day, home fires and other crisis turn people’s lives upside down,” said Mark Beddingfield, Interim Regional Executive for the Red Cross of Georgia. “Families are counting on your support to remember them during this special time of year. On Giving Tuesday, please consider making a financial donation, a blood donation or volunteering your time.”

GIVING TUESDAY Beginning on Giving Tuesday - November 27 - please #GiveWithMeaning at redcross.org/gift to support people in need with a symbolic gift, which you can make in honor of the special people in your life:

·         Help disaster victims. Your gift of $250 can deliver hot meals for 25 people who need nourishment after a disaster. A donation of $100 can provide a family of two with a full day’s worth of emergency shelter with meals, snacks, blankets, cots and hygiene supplies. A gift of $50 can provide warm blankets for 10 people.

·         Help our veterans. A donation of $125 can help veterans transition back to civilian life by connecting them and their families to critical services such as food, housing, counseling and rehabilitation.

·         Help internationally. Your gift of $100 can help provide lifesaving vaccinations for 100 children who face an increased risk of measles and rubella around the world.

In addition, you can also:

·         Give the gift of life. Visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets.

·         Volunteer to help others. Learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer at: redcross.org.

GIVING HOPE EVERY DAY Every 8 minutes, someone affected by disaster is helped by donations to the Red Cross. The generosity of Red Cross donors helps provide people with necessities like shelter, food, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance.

The need is constant—and this past year was no different. Home fires - the nation’s most frequent disaster - account for the vast majority of our responses. In Georgia, Red Cross volunteers responded to more than 2,700 home fire-related emergencies, assisting more than 4,500 families.

In addition to helping families recover from these events, we also help save lives by installing free smoke alarms and helping residents create escape plans through our Home Fire Campaign. Since it began in 2014, volunteers have installed more than 40,000 free smoke alarms in Georgia.

Because of generous support from donors, in the past year, Georgia’s Red Cross also:

• Provided assistance and support to military members, veterans and their families on more than 26,000 occasions.
• Reached more than 10,500 youth with life-saving emergency preparedness information through the Pillowcase Project.
• Enrolled nearly 36,000 people in lifesaving courses like first aid, CPR and AED.

About the American Red Cross: