Kentucky, Fiscal Year 2021 — The American Red Cross Kentucky Region provides critical aid every day—from responding to disasters big and small to teaching first aid and CPR to collecting vital blood and blood products. These services are made possible by an outstanding corps of more than 1,500 local volunteers  and the generous support of donors like you.

From July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, the Kentucky Red Cross helped more than 1,600 residents following emergencies in Kentucky, southern Illinois and southern Indiana. More than 100 Kentucky Region Red Cross team members also deployed far from home or virtually to provide their compassion and expertise to communities coping with disasters.  

In addition to disaster response, we work year-round to prepare community members for other everyday emergencies by offering community disaster education and preparedness programs, and teaching lifesaving classes like first aid, CPR and water safety. The Red Cross Kentucky Region enrolled more than 31,000 adults and children in lifesaving classes like first aid, CPR, water safety and other preparedness programs.

The Red Cross also provides critical services to serve military members and their families at home and around the world. We help military families communicate with their loved ones, provide free, professional volunteer services to our recovering wounded warriors and their families, and support caregivers with peer support, knowledge and skills. The Red Cross Kentucky Region provided 8,197 case services to military community members.

Blood collection became even more vital with rigorous safety protocols carefully followed at collection locations. At sites across the region, the Red Cross collected 82,630 blood donations.

During fiscal year 2021, the Red Cross Kentucky Region also continued to support our community by:

• Responding to 1,256 local disasters and assisting more than 1,678 families
• Installing 997 smoke alarms and making more than 600 homes safer across the region
• Providing fire and disaster safety education to nearly 600 youth
• Briefing more than 1,000 military members, veterans and families in our community through our Get to Know Us Before You Need Us programs, and nearly 300 through our resiliency workshops
• Conducting more than 3,300 blood drives across the region

“While the strain of the pandemic has weighed heavily on the nation and throughout the world, the Red Cross continues to offer support and care during a dark and difficult time, bringing comfort, hope and light when individuals and families needed it most.” Said Steve Cunanan, CEO of the Red Cross Kentucky Region. “On behalf of those we serve, thank you to everyone who contributed their time, expertise and financial resources to support the Red Cross in fiscal year 2021.”

WITH APPRECIATION The generosity of community partners enables the Red Cross to prepare and respond when disasters strike. With tremendous gratitude, we acknowledge our 2021 community partners for their support.

We also acknowledge the support of our chapter board members:

Bluegrass Area Chapter

Eastern Kentucky Chapter

Louisville Area Chapter

South Central Kentucky Chapter

Western Kentucky Chapter

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.