Red Cross honors community heroes during Red Cross Month celebration in March

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“We’re hoping to leave a legacy of compassion for our kids to follow,” said American Red Cross volunteers Missy and George Griner. The husband-and-wife team from Georgia helped people affected by Hurricane Ian in 2022 by driving an emergency response vehicle loaded with hot meals and drinking water through a hard-hit Florida neighborhood. Photo by Brad Zerivitz/American Red Cross

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Lakeiska Williams rolled up her sleeve to donate blood during a blood drive in Raleigh, North Carolina. Grateful to be a lifesaver, she poses for a photo with Red Cross blood collection team member Dana Robinson. Photo by Tai Wong/American Red Cross.

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“Time passes and generations change but the military culture stays the same. Being a veteran myself, you connect pretty easily with the troops. It’s easy to make that connection and for them to talk to you and ask for your help in the hour of need,” said American Red Crosser and Air Force veteran Theodore “Theo” Baldwin III, after completing a four-month deployment in Romania. As a member of Team 49, a unit of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces personnel, he and his colleagues deployed in support of 10 Army installations around the globe. Photo by Brad Zerivitz/American Red Cross

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Reziel Alarcon installs a smoke alarm with her daughter, Kylie, during a Sound the Alarm event in Honolulu, Hawaii. “It is our hope to motivate others to volunteer, as volunteering has been a tremendous part of our self-discoveries and greater purpose to others,” Reziel said. “It is our hope to inspire young people to make volunteerism and service to others a way of life.” Photo by Marco Garcia/American Red Cross

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Nigme Negron-Pieretti is a preschool teacher in Ohio who was on duty when she performed back blows and abdominal thrusts on a student who was choking during lunch in April 2022. For her lifesaving act, she received a Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders. Her First Aid/CPR/AED instructor, Ruth Davidson-Gordon, also received an Instructor’s Award for teaching the lifesaving skills that were used that day. Photo by Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

February 28, 2023

Volunteers and blood donors advance founder Clara Barton’s legacy in response to today’s climate disasters, global crises and health emergencies

As climate-driven disasters, global crises and health emergencies upend lives, people are stepping up through the American Red Cross to care for one another in need.

This March, the Red Cross is honoring these community heroes — who make its mission possible — during the 80th annual American Red Cross Month celebration, a national tradition that began in 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation.

“During Red Cross Month in March, we are proud to honor all those who provide relief and hope when help can’t wait during emergencies,” said American Red Cross President and CEO Gail J. McGovern. “You can join in their commitment to make a meaningful difference for people in need by donating, volunteering, giving blood or platelets, or taking a lifesaving skills course with the Red Cross.”

Participate in Red Cross Month by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation, give blood or platelets, become a volunteer or take a class in lifesaving skills, such as first aid, CPR and how to use an AED. On March 22, you can also join our annual Red Cross Giving Day campaign by donating at redcross.org/givingday to help provide shelter, food, relief items, emotional support and other assistance for people affected by disasters big and small in the U.S.

CONTINUING CLARA BARTON’S LIFESAVING LEGACY Today’s Red Cross volunteers, blood and platelet donors and supporters are advancing the lifesaving legacy of Clara Barton — one of the most honored women in U.S. history — who founded the American Red Cross more than 140 years ago. Her vision to prevent and alleviate human suffering has never wavered: Generation after generation, people have come together to adapt this timeless mission for their communities’ most urgent needs.

Today this includes:

CLIMATE DISASTERS: On the frontlines of the climate crisis in communities across the country, the Red Cross is supporting families who are struggling to cope with more frequent and intense disasters year after year. Over the next several years, the Red Cross aims to grow our disaster workforce, strengthen support networks of partners in high-risk communities, expand recovery assistance for those with the greatest needs, and enhance support services for people who can’t return home.
BLOOD DONOR HEALTH: The Red Cross applauds the generosity of millions of individuals who donate blood and believes in its responsibility to give back to those who roll up a sleeve. That’s why the Red Cross provides important health information through the donation process including an individual’s blood pressure reading, hemoglobin level and pulse rate. Empowering our blood donors with meaningful health information is critical to maintaining donor personal well-being as well as the broader care of our communities.
GLOBAL CRISES: Following the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, thousands of Red Cross and Red Crescent responders are on the ground providing blood, food, shelter, medical care, emergency aid supplies, and mental and emotional support to people in need. Meanwhile, as international armed conflict continues to roil Europe, the American Red Cross is providing lifesaving aid — such as food, shelter, water, medical care and mental health support — to the millions displaced within Ukraine and throughout neighboring countries.
DEPLOYED SERVICE MEMBERS: Over the past year, more than 70 trained Red Cross personnel have deployed to sites around the globe in support of service members. In this role, Red Crossers help soldiers stay connected to home and support morale activities.
CPR AND AED TRAINING OUTREACH: The importance of CPR and how to use an AED were recently underscored when NFL player Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a game. In response to this incident, the Red Cross, NFL and American Heart Association are teaming up to promote CPR education and work with coaches and others involved in youth sports to ensure they have the proper training and equipment to respond to medical emergencies.

PREVENT A BLOOD SHORTAGE When volunteer blood and platelet donors lend an arm this March, they’ll help to prevent a shortage and keep the blood supply from dropping this spring. All who come to give blood, platelets or plasma March 1-31, 2023, will receive a $10 Visa® Prepaid Card by email.* Plus, they'll be automatically entered for a chance to win a $3,000 Visa Prepaid Card – which could help toward expenses like gas or groceries. There will be five lucky winners.*

*Terms for both offers apply. Visit rcblood.org/help for details.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.