The American Red Cross is recognizing the country’s everyday heroes during Red Cross Month. 

“March is Red Cross Month, the perfect time to honor our Red Cross volunteers and financial contributors who bring hope to people facing life’s emergencies,” said Mario Bruno, CEO, American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “During Red Cross Month, we thank them for their tremendous support.”

March has been recognized as Red Cross Month for more than 70 years. All of our presidents have designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the American Red Cross helps people across the country and around the world.

The Red Cross depends on local heroes to fulfill its mission. Every eight minutes, Red Cross disaster workers respond to a community disaster, providing shelter, food, emotional support and other necessities to those affected. It provides 24-hour support to members of the military, veterans and their families at home and around the world. It must collect nearly 14,000 donations of blood every day to meet patient needs. It trains millions of people in first aid, water safety and other lifesaving skills. And it supports the vaccination of children around the globe against measles and rubella.

In fiscal year 2016, the Rhode Island Chapter responded 200 local emergencies, assisted nearly 200 military families and trained more than 10,000 people in lifesaving skills. 

“It’s easy to become a Red Cross community hero,” said Bruno. “Be ready for an emergency by creating a preparedness plan for your home. Test your smoke alarms and tell your neighbors to do the same. Or sign up to be a Red Cross volunteer or make a financial donation.” 

More information about how people can support the organization is available on redcross.org. The Red Cross is not a government agency and relies on donations of time, money and blood to do its work. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs.

The Rhode Island Chapter has a number of activities planned for Red Cross Month, including:

The Red Cross Install-A-Thon will take place on March 9 in Tiverton. We will be installing free smoke alarms and providing free fire safety education and information. To learn more visit: http://www.redcross.org/news/event/local/connecticut/Red-Cross-Install-A-Thon. 

The Red Cross will be holding a smoke alarm install day in Cranston on Monday, March 13. To make an appointment for a free fire safety visit, sign up at http://www.redcross.org/local/rhode-island/home-fire-safety-visit.

We will be turning the Rhode Island State House red on Wednesday, March 22 at 3 p.m. in honor of Red Cross Month!

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.