As we near the end of 2022 and begin to think about our New Year’s resolutions, the American Red Cross asks that you consider making a meaningful choice by becoming a Red Cross volunteer.

Volunteers make up 90 percent of the Red Cross workforce. Local volunteers are part of the almost 300,000 people across the country whose support enables the Red Cross to respond to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year and deliver more than 6.4 million blood products to hospital patients in need. Volunteers also help train more than 4.6 million people in Red Cross lifesaving skills; help provide nearly 550,000 services to military members, veterans and their families; and to reconnect almost 9,000 families separated by war or disaster around the world.

The top five benefits of resolving to volunteer in 2023 include:

1. Meeting new people. Our volunteers are amazing individuals with diverse backgrounds that are inspired to give back, just like you.
2. Learning new skills. Red Cross volunteer positions include free training and provide an opportunity to experience new adventures.
3. Being part of something larger. Become a vital part of the Red Cross and our mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering.
4. Making a difference in someone’s life. Whether you are helping a family that just had a home fire or supporting the collection of lifesaving blood, your impact is real.
5. Staying active. Many volunteer roles require physical activity which is great for your overall health.

Here are just a few of the positions we need help filling:

• Blood Donor Ambassadors engage with blood donors at blood drives by greeting, registering, answering questions, providing information and supporting them through the recovery process at the refreshments table.
• Transportation Specialists help deliver blood from our facilities to local hospitals by choosing regular routes, stand-by emergency deliveries or both.
• Disaster Action Team Members sign up for on-call shifts as part of a team to help provide 24-hour emergency response to local disasters, ensuring that your neighbors have access to resources for necessities such food, shelter and clothing.
• Service to the Armed Forces Clinic Volunteers help enhance the morale of patients by providing direct and indirect assistance to patient care activities in military treatment clinics.

Training is free, but the hope you provide as a Red Cross volunteer is priceless. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to get started.

Give Blood
The 18th Annual Peoria 12 Hours of Giving blood drive is Wednesday, Dec. 21 at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria. The event will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you are needed! Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, so come roll up a sleeve. We’ll have free food from Starbucks and Subway and a Red Cross t-shirt for everyone who donates that day.

Click here to make an appointment.

Home Fire Response
American Red Cross volunteers responded to five home fires in Bloomington, Champaign, Peoria and Watseka in the past week and provided assistance to 14 individuals, through supplying them with basic items to meet immediate needs after a fire, and additional support in the form of health and mental health services and one-on-one support.

If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch line: (877) 597-0747.

Home fires are the most frequent disaster and claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death in a home fire by 50 percent.

Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for detailed home fire prevention and safety tips. Visit redcross.org/apps or search “American Red Cross” in app stores to download the app, which is compatible with Apple Watch and Android wearable devices.

About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. 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 us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.

###