In a year when disasters upended the lives of thousands of people, the American Red Cross is asking everyone to Give Something that Means Something for families in need through its 2018 Holiday Giving Campaign.

“Every day, home fires and other everyday crises turn people’s lives upside down,” said Linda Mathes, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross in the National Capital Region. “Families are counting on your support to remember them during this special time of year. On Giving Tuesday, please consider making a financial donation or a blood donation, or volunteering your time.”

GIVING TUESDAY

Beginning on Giving Tuesday—November 27—please #GiveWithMeaning at redcross.org/gift to support people in need with a symbolic gift, which you can make in honor of the special people in your life:

• Help disaster victims. Your gift of $250 can deliver hot meals for 25 people who need nourishment after a disaster. A donation of $100 can provide a family of two with a full day’s worth of emergency shelter with meals, snacks, blankets, a cot and hygiene supplies. Help provide warmth with a gift of $50, which can provide blankets for 10 people.
• Help our veterans. A donation of $125 can help veterans transition back to civilian life by connecting them and their families to critical services such as food, housing, counseling and rehabilitation.
• Help internationally. Your gift of $100 can help provide lifesaving vaccinations for 100 children who face an increased risk of measles and rubella around the world,

In addition, you can also:

• Give the gift of life. Visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets.
• Volunteer to help others. To learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer, visit redcross.org.

GIVING HOPE EVERY DAY Every 8 minutes, someone affected by disaster is helped by donations to the Red Cross. The generosity of Red Cross donors helps provide people with necessities like shelter, food, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance.

The need is constant—and this year was no different. In the National Capital Region, the Red Cross responds to over 700 disaster incidents each year, assisting more than 6,000 people and distributing more than 20,000 relief items. Home fires—the nation’s most frequent disaster—account for the vast majority of our responses.

In addition to helping families recover from these events, we also help save lives by installing free smoke alarms and helping residents create escape plans through our Home Fire Campaign, which began in 2014. Along with our partners, we have installed more than 4,406 smoke alarms, made more than 1,628 escape plans, served more than 4,961 in the last year.

Because of generous support, in 2018, the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region also:

• Handled more than 2,200 armed forces communications cases
• Collected more than 56,200 blood donations units of blood
• Trained more than 92,000 people people in lifesaving courses like first aid, CPR and AED

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.