By Maribel Flores
2022 is coming to an end and a new year approaches, bringing new goals and experiences. Looking back on this year, the American Red Cross remained committed to its mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering by turning compassion into action.
Helping the Red Cross achieve its mission is a strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, and this year was no exception. We are so incredibly thankful for our exceptional corporate and foundation partners who helped us every step of the way.
Our Corporate and Foundation donors not only helped us raise funds, but they also supported our mission by hosting blood drives, collecting more than 350 pints of blood, campaigning to raise more than $300,000 in customer donations, assembling and distributing 1,200 comfort kits to Texas communities, and delivered supplies to a shelter following a disaster fire response. Additionally, they supported the purchase of unique items like blood equipment for our Biomedical Services as well as the purchase of new vehicles for our Disaster Relief Services during a critical stage of our Sound the Alarm campaign.
These donors went above and beyond to make a difference through compassionate action, and because of that, we have been able to strengthen the Red Cross mission and serve communities across North Texas and around the world.
We are fortunate to partner with our Annual Disaster Giving Program members, Disaster Responder Program members and Ready 365 partners to host blood drives throughout the year. Partners like American Airlines, Toyota, Lehigh Hanson, Rent-A-Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas all hosted blood drives this year, encouraging their own staff and community members to donate blood, collectively generating more than 350 units of blood. For context, a single blood donation has the potential to save three lives. On behalf of these blood recipients and the Red Cross family, we extend our deepest gratitude.
The work, of course, doesn’t stop with lifesaving blood collection though. The Red Cross responds to a fire disaster every eight minutes, along with assisting people affected by major floods, tornados and hurricanes. Our thanks go to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas for assembling and distributing 1,200 comfort kits. These kits often include personal hygiene items and toiletry items, all with the intention of providing a piece of dignity and comfort to those who are facing an emergency. Small actions like this can provide hope during some of the most vulnerable moments in people’s lives.
Through a generous grant from Lockheed Martin AeroCARES, the Red Cross purchased a new Chevy Silverado for our Fort Worth area services. The truck has assisted our responders with moving trailers of supplies to disasters, and with transporting volunteers into neighborhoods for our community outreach program, Sound the Alarm.
During the Sound the Alarm events, Allstate team members partnered with Red Cross volunteers to visit hundreds of neighborhoods and install free smoke alarms. We are always thankful to have partners that help lift us up and provide for the communities we serve.
Being on the ground is invaluable, but it is not the only way our generous partners helped the Red Cross mission this year. Texas de Brazil, Neiman Marcus Group and American Airlines encouraged their staff, customers and guests to donate to the Red Cross through their own successful campaigns.
Texas de Brazil raised more than $47,000 through dinner vouchers, allowing their guests to learn about and help Service to the Armed Forces. Neiman Marcus empowered their guests to donate at checkout and raised a total of $250,000. They also donated space for the Red Cross to host donor events in Dallas and Fort Worth. American Airlines created opportunity for their AAdvantage members to donate miles in 1,000-mile increments, helping volunteers and staff get to and from critical disaster areas across the country.
These are just some of the ways our partners contributed to the Red Cross. However, the most precious donation is their time. We are so excited to walk into 2023 alongside these partners with our eyes on the mission and the people we serve. Because of partners like these, the Red Cross is able to provide help, dignity, support and comfort to those in need.
A very special THANK YOU to our Annual Disaster Giving Program members, Disaster Responder Program members and Ready 365 partners for proactively supporting the Red Cross mission throughout the year, ensuring help is always available when and where it is most needed.
These incredible Annual Disaster Responder Giving Program members, Disaster Responder program members, and Ready365 partners include:
Annual Disaster Responder Program members | $1,000,000+:
Annual Disaster Responder Program members | $500,00+:
Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation, Toyota Motor North America
Disaster Responder Members | $250,000+:
7-Eleven Cares Foundation, AT&T, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, McKesson, Neiman Marcus Group, Southwest Airlines
Ready365 members:
Platinum plus/ $150,000+:
Platinum/ $100,000+:
Builders FirstSource, Communities Foundation of Texas, Dynata, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Jeanne R Johnson Foundation, Rent-A-Center, Sammons Enterprises, Santander Consumer USA Foundation and Santander Bank
Gold/ $50,000+:
Atmos Energy, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Charles Schwab Foundation , Gehan Homes, Hoblitzelle Foundation , Jacobs, The Priddy Foundation
Silver/ $25,000+:
4Change Energy, Community Foundation of Abilene, Fluor Corporation, ISN, Larry Lightner Sams, Lehigh Hanson, Lockheed Martin AeroCARES, Mary Kay, Inc. , Mary Potishman Lard Trust, NBC 5 DFW, Nexstar Media Group, Inc., Shelton Family Foundation, SitePro Rentals Inc. , Southwest Airlines Federal Credit Union, Stemmons Foundation, Texas Capital Bank, Texas de Brazil, Wal-Dot Foundation
Bronze/ $10,000+:
Aeristo, Aethon Energy, Alcon Foundation, Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, Bell, Caliber Home Loans, Central Texas J.R. Beadel Foundation, Inc., DuBose Family Foundation, Electric Drilling Technologies, Greyhound, Guaranty Bank, Highmark Residential, Independent Financial, Paul E Andrews Jr Foundation, PLH Group, Populus Financial Group, RAZ Imports, State Farm, Texas Health Resources, Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation, William & Sylvia Zale Foundation
To learn more about our Corporate and Foundation partners and their contributions to the American Red Cross, visit Community Partners | North Texas | American Red Cross.
