March is Red Cross Month
It's official...
By official proclamation of the President of the United States and New Hampshire's Governor John Lynch, March is American Red Cross Month - a time to celebrate the successes and honor the dedicated services of the volunteers and staff of the Red Cross. As honorary chair of the Red Cross in 1943, President Roosevelt was the first president to declare March as Red Cross Month, and each president since has carried on the tradition.
Red Cross is there when you need them...
Each year, the American Red Cross responds to an estimated 70,000 disaster, including single house and apartment fires, hurricanes, regional floods and other natural and human-caused disasters. In 2007, the Red Cross helped with the largest evacuation in California history during the devastating wildfires, providing more than 30,000 overnight stays in emergency shelters and more than 360,000 meals. New Hampshire Red Cross chapters sent several disaster-trained volunteers to assist those fire victims. The chapters were in full gear during and after last April's Nor'easter when devastating floods and power outages hit our communities, with many residents still trying to recover from the 2005 floods.
The majority of blood used in healthcare facilities in our state comes from the donations of thousands of New Hampshire residents at Red Cross blood drives. Last year the blood drives in the state resulted in over 10,000 pints of lifesaving blood.
The Red Cross provides caring support and counseling to members of the Armed Forces and their families. They offer financial aid to struggling families, emotional support during tough times after deployment and emergency communications to families facing a crisis.
The American Red Cross makes every effort to save lives before tragedy strikes by training individuals and communities to be prepared for disasters or other life-threatening emergencies. Our New Hampshire chapters offer classes in first aid, CPR, water safety, use of automated external defibrillators, babysitting skills and other health and safety topics. This training does in fact save lives.
Our volunteers rock!
Red Cross Month is also a time to honor the dedicated corps of volunteers who provide so much to the work of local chapters. Volunteers make up a remarkable 97% of American Red Cross workers. They are instructors in our many classes. They make up the disaster-trained teams that arrive day or night to disasters anywhere in the state. They provide essential office and data entry help at the chapters. Volunteer community leaders make up each chapter's governing board of directors.
All Red Cross volunteers are prepared, dedicated and well-trained. Without their help, the New Hampshire chapters would not be able to fulfill the humanitarian mission that is the cornerstone of the organization. We are grateful for their tireless work.
Take a minute this month to say ÒThank YouÓ to a Red Cross volunteer. Consider volunteering some time to Red Cross. Support your local chapter with a contribution to help the Local Disaster Relief Fund. Give blood - the gift of life.
We all are fortunate that the American Red Cross is strong in New Hampshire and is committed to being there when our residents and communities need help.
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