Red Cross Month - Be a Hero in Your Community

3/18/2019 (Permalink)

March is Red Cross Month, a tradition begun by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. President Donald Trump has proclaimed March as Red Cross Month across the country. You can read the entire proclamation here.

During Red Cross Month, the American Red Cross asks everyone to be a hero in their community by becoming a volunteer, learning lifesaving skills, giving blood or donating to #help1family on Red Cross Giving Day, March 27.

The need to help people is constant—and the past year of busy disaster activity was no exception. For 324 consecutive days, more than 43,000 people relied on the Red Cross for emergency shelter following events like record wildfires, hurricanes, floods and large apartment fires. From April 2018 to February 2019, more than 11,500 Red Cross volunteers left the comfort of their own homes to provide comfort, care and a safe place to sleep for tens of thousands affected by disasters.

“During Red Cross Month, we honor the volunteer heroes who help families overcome life’s emergencies every day,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “These champions are our neighbors—ordinary people who make an extraordinary difference to ease the suffering of others, whether it’s saving a person’s life with CPR, donating blood for a hospital patient with life-threatening conditions, or comforting a family overwhelmed by a home fire or other crisis. We ask you to consider joining these heroes to answer the call for service in your community.”

There are lots of ways you can help. Does responding to local or national disasters appeal to you? How about helping hospital patients by sponsoring a blood drive or greeting blood donors at bloodmobiles?

Would you like to support our Services to the Armed Forces program by helping patients in military hospitals and at Veterans’ Administration facilities? Is teaching something you like to do? Why not be a volunteer instructor and teach first aid / CPR / AED classes or babysitting classes?

How about helping people all over the world? Become an International Humanitarian Law instructor.  Or you could support our International Tracing Services and reunite families living overseas, in war-torn countries or even in your community.

Savvy on social media? Be an online advocate and tell the Red Cross story. Serve on local boards and help with fundraising and marketing. Be part of the behind-the-scenes Red Cross team by volunteering in our offices.

These are just a few of the ways you can make a difference as a Red Cross volunteer. To find out more, including how to apply, visit the ‘Volunteer’ information on redcross.org.

HOW YOU CAN #HELP1FAMILY Learn more about how you can help in your area by contacting your local Red Cross chapter or visiting redcross.org:

In addition to volunteering, you can:

• Give blood: Make an appointment to donate lifesaving blood or platelets.
• Learn lifesaving skills: Register for a class to learn first aid, CPR and other skills.
• 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.

Here at SERVPRO of WEST KIRKWOOD/SUNSET HILLS, we have seen these wonderful volunteers out at all times during the day and night comforting our homeowners affected by flooding or fire damages. You can also be a HERO in your community by volunteering or donating to this wonderful organization. #HEROSTRONG