American Red Cross Calls on People to Go "All In" to Help Their Neighbors; 6 Things You Need to Know

Inaugural 24-hour "Giving Day" will support those in need in communities across the country

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Jun 01, 2015, 12:01 ET

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is launching its first Giving Day on June 2. The 24-hour national campaign will support the work the Red Cross does each and every day to help hundreds of thousands of people across the country and around the world. The theme of Giving Day is "All in One Day" because the Red Cross is "All in," every day, helping people to get back on their feet after a disaster or emergency situation.

"Right now the Red Cross is helping hundreds of people in Texas and Oklahoma who have lost everything from severe weather and flooding. But even when there is no disaster in the news, the Red Cross is still working hard – every day – to help people whenever and wherever they need it. The Red Cross wouldn't be there to help without the generous support of the American public," said American Red Cross President and CEO Gail J. McGovern. "We will rally the American public in support of the 134-year-old Red Cross mission to deliver help and hope to people in our communities when they need it most."

6 Ways the Red Cross Helps People Every Day:

Disasters: Nearly 200 times a day, the Red Cross helps a family affected by a home fire or other disaster.
Blood: Nearly 5,600 times a day, someone receives a Red Cross blood transfusion.
Military Families: Every day the Red Cross provides nearly 1,000 services to military members and their families.
Vaccines: With the help of partners, the Red Cross helps vaccinate 308,000 children a day, globally, against measles or rubella.
Lifesaving Education: On average, 15,500 people a day learn how to save a life through Red Cross health and safety training and mobile app downloads.
Floods: Or that on this past Memorial Day, more than 220 people spent their Memorial Day in Red Cross shelters in Texas and Oklahoma.

"Life can change in one day, leaving someone with nothing – without a home, without their belongings, and without hope," added McGovern. "For so many of these people, the American Red Cross is the answer. We need the public's support."

To participate in Giving Day and support the work of the American Red Cross, visit www. redcross.org/givingday. You can schedule your donation for June 2 at www.redcross.org/givingday.

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 visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

About our Corporate Giving Day Supporters
The American Red Cross is grateful for those corporate donors that have gone "all in" to support our Giving Day. They include: eBay, Energy Future Holdings/TXU Energy/Luminant, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, Konica Minolta, Kroger Pharmacy, Midwest Recycling, and State Farm. Thanks to the generosity of these and other supporters, the Red Cross is able to deliver help and hope every day to people when they need it most.

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SOURCE American Red Cross