April Monthly Focus: National Volunteer Month

National Volunteer Month

Made official by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, April is National Volunteer Month! During this month, the Red Cross recognizes the importance of volunteering and honoring the significant contributions volunteers make by generously donating their time and talents to worthy causes. Nationally, the Red Cross has more than 300,000 volunteers, which is over 90 percent of the total Red Cross workforce. These heroes help staff blood drives, volunteer at veterans’ hospitals, teach people lifesaving skills such as First Aid and CPR, respond to large disasters and tens of thousands of home fires, and so much more.

Across the nation, volunteers enable the Red Cross to respond to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year. They help train more than 4.5 million people in Red Cross lifesaving skills; help provide more than 513,000 services to military members, veterans and their families; and to reconnect more than 11,000 families separated by war or disaster around the world. In addition, as many as 2.6 million volunteer donors give blood every year. 

Thank you all for your time and contribution, and we look forward to your continued help and involvement!

Month of the Military Child

April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, which showcases the important role military children play in the armed forces community. All members of a military family serve, including military children who often experience frequent moves, multiple schools, parental separation and, in some cases, the loss of a parent. The Month of the Military Child is a time to applaud military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and the challenges they overcome. At the American Red Cross, we know that support for military families helps develop strong, resilient military kids. This year, the American Red Cross has serviced over 162,000 military families and has provided 65,439 emergency communications to 117,580 military members and their families.

U.S. military kids and parents can find a variety of resources through the Red Cross to get additional support:

• Virtual mental wellness courses offered by mental health professionals are available for kids and parents to combat feelings of stress. A variety of courses are available to help military families connect during this difficult time, including tips for service members on how to smoothly reconnect with their children when they return from deployments and planning for how to manage extended periods of separation.
• Families facing financial hardship can apply for financial assistance through the Red Cross in conjunction with the Military Aid Societies by calling the Red Cross Hero Care Network toll-free at 1-877-272-7337 or by contacting their local Red Cross.
• If a military child or spouse experiences an emergency, they can send an emergency message to the deployed parent to alert them through our Red Cross Hero Care Network by calling toll-free at 1-877-272-7337 or by downloading and sending a message through the Red Cross Hero Care App.

Please visit these links if you would like to learn more or volunteer to help support military kids and parents in need. 

National Youth Council Applications

Now that April is upon us, National Youth Council Applications are officially open! The National Youth Council is a group of 13 outstanding youth and young adult volunteers from across the country who use their creativity, dedication, and energy to lead national youth programs and promote young volunteers as an organizational resource. Joining this Council is a great way to further your engagement with the Red Cross and pave the way for greater and better youth and young adult volunteerism. Learn more about the program and how to apply by visiting this link.

How to Get Involved

• Measles and Rubella Initiative.
• With the last week of April declared as World Immunization Week, take the time to learn and research Red Cross’ Measles and Rubella Initiative (M&RI). The M&RI aims to achieve a world without measles and rubella by supporting countries to raise coverage of measles, rubella and other vaccines; fund, plan, implement and monitor quality supplementary campaigns; investigate outbreaks and provide technical and financial support for effective outbreak response, propose and participate in solutions to strengthen immunization delivery; and support a global laboratory network for measles and rubella. Since 2001, the Initiative has supported 88 countries to deliver more than 2.9 billion doses of measles vaccine, helped to raise measles vaccination coverage to 85% globally, reduced measles deaths by 62%, and has invested more than US $1.2 billion in measles and rubella control activities.
• Aid the Red Cross and M&RI by getting your community involved in the Vaccinate a Village Campaign. Learn more here.
• Sound the Alarm Campaign
• Home fires claim seven lives every day, but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. Together, the American Red Cross is rallying volunteers to install 50,000 free smoke alarms nationwide. This campaign is a great way to promote fire safety and preparedness in your community, and to hope, innovate, and serve. Learn more about the Sound the Alarm Campaign and how you can get involved by visiting the following link.

Other Ways to Get Involved

• Vaccinate a Village Competition
• Join the Vaccinate a Village challenge from now until April 29! During this competition, compete with clubs across the nation for a chance at winning social media shoutouts, Red Cross merchandise, and a specialized gift bag. Winners will be selected based on creativity and the total amount of funds raised. To get started, check out this activity guide and submit your data here by April 29, 2022. Good luck!
• Prepare for Wildfire Season
• With wildfire season stretching from May to October of each year, April is a great time to prepare and get ready for wildfire’s many dangers. In the past few years, there have been record-setting wildfire seasons, which have caused 37 deaths and more than $19 billion in damages, and over eight million acres of land scorched. Wildfires are dangerous and spread quickly, giving you only minutes to evacuate. Protect your household and loved ones by visiting the following link to learn about the most essential preparation tips.
• Join this month’s Crash Course Call on April 17th at 7:00 PM EST to learn more about the National Youth Council and how you can benefit from applying.