In a year when disasters upended the lives of thousands of people, the Palmetto SC Region of the American Red Cross is asking everyone to Give Something that Means Something for families in need through its 2019 Holiday Giving Campaign.
“Every day, home fires and other crises turn people’s lives upside down,” said Louise Welch Williams, regional chief executive officer. “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 December 3rd, 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.
· 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 Palmetto SC Region, the Red Cross responds to an average of six home fires every day. That’s as often as one every four hours. Last year, volunteers helped nearly 7,000 people after local disaster in the state.
In addition to helping families recover from these events, the Red Cross also helps save lives by installing free smoke alarms and helping residents create escape plans through its Home Fire Campaign, which has saved 65 lives in South Carolina since it began in 2014.
Because of generous support, in 2019, the Red Cross in South Carolina also:
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org/SC or @RedCrossSC
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