March Is Red Cross Month: Be a Hero in Your Community

Volunteer, give blood, learn lifesaving skills or donate to #help1family on Red Cross Giving Day...

PRESS RELEASE

PRINCETON, NJ – March is Red Cross Month and the American Red Cross New Jersey Region asks people to be a hero for others by becoming a volunteer, learning lifesaving skills, giving blood or donating to #help1family on Red Cross Giving Day, March 27.

“During Red Cross Month, we are proud to recognize our volunteers who provide hope and urgent relief to families in need every day,” said Rosie Taravella, CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “These heroes are our neighbors who give blood, save lives with skills like first aid and CPR, offer support services to our military service members and their families, or provide care and comfort to families devastated by crises like home fires. We honor our volunteers and ask you to join them and make a difference.”

More than 75 years ago, March was first proclaimed Red Cross Month in 1943 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to raise awareness of the organization and its humanitarian mission. All U.S. presidents since Roosevelt have designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the American Red Cross helps people across the country and around the world through its workforce powered by more than 90 percent volunteers.

During March, several iconic New Jersey locations and landmarks will be illuminated RED to recognize Red Cross Month, including the Battleship New Jersey in Camden, the Prudential Center Marquee in Newark, and the New Jersey State House on March 18.


EVERY DAY, VOLUNTEERS HELP

Every eight minutes in the U.S., the Red Cross connects with a family who has lost everything to a home fire or other disaster—the roof over their heads, their clothes, their most cherished possessions. This past year was no exception—and the need continues today.

Last year, Red Cross volunteers helped millions of people reeling from a second consecutive year of record wildfires, hurricanes, tragic shootings and other large disasters across the country. More than 200 volunteer heroes from New Jersey deployed to other states to help deliver urgent relief and care in people’s darkest hours.

This winter, home fires continue to upend lives and Red Cross volunteers are there to help. In February alone, Red Cross volunteers assisted more than 500 people in 200 families affected by at least 66 home fires in New Jersey during the short month.


HOW YOU CAN HELP - #help1family:

• Become a volunteer: Help families affected by disasters and install lifesaving smoke alarms to keep neighbors safe from home fires. You can also provide emergency assistance for military members and veterans, or help reconnect families separated by international conflict.
• Give blood: Make an appointment to donate lifesaving blood or platelets. 
• Learn lifesaving skills: Register for a class to learn first aid, CPR and other skills.
• Make a financial donation: On March 27—American Red Cross Giving Day—donate at redcross.org/givingday, uniting with thousands of people like you to help families during the first devastating hours of a disaster. Your gift can provide hope and urgent relief, like food, shelter and other essentials, for families who need it most.

New Jersey residents can help support the Red Cross while filing their 2018 NJ State Tax Returns. Donations can be made by checking box 64 on the NJ-1040 Form and entering Code 14 for the American Red Cross-NJ Fund.

People can find information about Red Cross Month events, volunteer opportunities, blood donation and other ways to support the work of the Red Cross by visiting redcross.org/NJ.
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.

About the American Red Cross in New Jersey:

The American Red Cross provides programs and services to a population of 8.8 million in New Jersey. The Red Cross trains and mobilizes more than 4,500 volunteers who support the delivery of services throughout the state. In New Jersey last year, the Red Cross responded to more than 900 local disasters, mostly home fires, helping more than 2,250 displaced families; collected more than 94,500 units of blood through blood drives and Red Cross Blood Donation Centers; provided more than 5,114 military family case services with emergency messages, helping families find assistance and/or get counseling and referrals; and trained nearly 110,250 individuals with life-saving skills in preparedness, CPR, AED use, first aid and aquatics. For more information, please visit redcross.org/NJ and follow us on Twitter @NJRedCross.org.