The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
They aspire to turn compassion into action so that all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope; our communities are ready and prepared for disasters; everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products; all members of our armed services and their families find support and comfort whenever needed; and in an emergency, there are always trained individuals nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives.
The Montgomery, Howard and Frederick Counties chapter is a member of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and as February is American Heart Health Month, we’d love to highlight this life saving organization and we can support them locally!
Photo Courtesy American Red Cross
Five Things to Know About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross does more than blood donation.
While providing access to safe and lifesaving blood and blood products is an important part of their mission, the American Red Cross provides much more than that to our communities.
They provide disaster relief in times of crisis. The Red Cross responds to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year, the vast majority of which are home fires. You can see Red Cross volunteers lending a hand in wildfire relief efforts, hurricane and tornado relief and even during winter storms when necessary.
The Red Cross also provides critical support and services to our Armed Services. They have been serving the military for more than 140 years and have deployed alongside military in every U.S. conflict since the Spanish-American War.
Service members can rely on the Red Cross to provide support during deployments, at home and even when they leave the service as veterans.
The Red Cross also provides critical training and certification services to help keep community members trained and ready to respond to emergencies as they arise.
You can sign up with the local Red Cross to take CPR/AED courses as well as first aid classes and swimming and water safety courses. They also provide a variety of training opportunities for those in the medical field.
Sign up for their FREE Disaster Preparedness Summit, March 24th, to learn how can we work together to ensure cross-sector sustainability following any type of crisis.
Photo Courtesy American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is largely volunteer powered.
In fact, 90% of the Red Cross workforce are volunteers.
From behind the scenes work like marketing and graphic design to boots on the ground positions like nursing and food service there are countless ways volunteers support the mission and tasks of the Red Cross.
Volunteers range in skill sets and age (25% are even 24 or younger) and the needs vary depending on current events, but they are always looking for dedicated people to lend a hand.
Photo Courtesy American Red Cross
Photo Courtesy American Red Cross
There is a critical blood shortage in America right now.
If you’ve ever considered donating blood or have been putting it off recently, now is the time.
The American Red Cross has an ongoing critical need for blood and platelet donations amidst coronavirus uncertainties.
You can make an appointment to give blood or platelets at RedCrossBlood.org.
Photo Courtesy American Red Cross
Your business can play a vital role in supporting the Red Cross.
There are several ways businesses can easily get involved and support the Red Cross. Here are few simple ones to start today:
- Make a financial donation.
- Host a blood drive as a business or Start a virtual blood drive with your remote employees
- Volunteer.
The American Red Cross is a great resource for disaster preparedness both at home and in work environments.
Visit the Red Cross site for information on keeping your home and professional environments safe and ready to address emergencies when they occur.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.