“During Red Cross Month, we are proud to recognize our volunteers who provide hope and urgent relief to families in need every day,” said Mario Bruno, CEO, American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “These heroes are our neighbors who give blood, save lives with skills like first aid and CPR, or provide care and comfort to families devastated by crises like home fires. We honor our volunteers and ask you to join them and make a difference.”
More than 75 years ago, March was first proclaimed Red Cross Month in 1943 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to raise awareness of the organization and its humanitarian mission. All U.S. presidents since Roosevelt have designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the American Red Cross helps people across the country and around the world through its workforce powered by more than 90 percent volunteers.
EVERY DAY, VOLUNTEERS HELP Every eight minutes in the U.S., the Red Cross connects with a family who has lost everything to a home fire or other disaster—the roof over their heads, their clothes, their most cherished possessions. This past year was no exception—and the need continues today.
Last year, Red Cross volunteers helped millions of people reeling from a second consecutive year of record wildfires, hurricanes, tragic shootings and other large disasters across the country. More than 2,000 volunteer heroes from Connecticut responded to deliver urgent relief and care in people’s darkest hours right here at home and across the country.
This winter, home fires continued to upend lives—when there’s often an increased risk of home heating and cooking fires. In 2018, local volunteers assisted more than 1,500 families affected by home fires, power outages, hazardous materials releases, transportation accidents and storms in Connecticut.
HOW YOU CAN #HELP1FAMILY Learn more about how you can help by visiting https://www.redcross.org/local/connecticut.html
· Become a volunteer: Help families affected by disasters and install lifesaving smoke alarms to keep neighbors safe from home fires. In some areas, you can also provide emergency assistance for military members and veterans, or help reconnect families separated by international conflict, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.
· Give blood: Make an appointment to donate lifesaving blood or platelets, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org.
· Learn lifesaving skills: Register for a class to learn first aid, CPR and other skills, visit www.redcross.org/takeaclass.
· Join us for the 2019 Red Cross Heroes Ball: On Saturday, March 23, join us as we honor blood drive sponsors, blood drive volunteers and blood donors who help save lives. For more information and for tickets, visit www.redcross.org/redcrossball.
· Make a financial donation: On March 27—American Red Cross Giving Day—donate at redcross.org/givingday, uniting with thousands of people like you to help families during the first devastating hours of a disaster. Your gift can provide hope and urgent relief, like food, shelter and other essentials, for families who need it most.
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.
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