American Red Cross Encourages People to #help1family On Giving Day

On Thursday, April 21, Support Families in Their Time of Most Need

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Apr 05, 2016, 07:45 ET

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is holding its nationwide Giving Day on Thursday, April 21. The one-day event is designed to rally the American public to support the Red Cross as it meets its critical and lifesaving mission of helping families who have been affected by disaster or emergencies.

"Imagine if every American helped just one family in the U.S.," said Red Cross President and CEO Gail J. McGovern. "Think of how much good we could do – together – on Giving Day."

Every year, the Red Cross responds to nearly 66,000 disasters – the vast majority of these are home fires – where a family has lost everything; the roof over their heads, their clothes, and their most cherished possessions.

"Our mission is to help those in need, but we wouldn't be able to fulfill our mission without the generous support of the American people," added McGovern. "By participating in our Giving Day, your help allows us to provide vital assistance to people in communities across the country impacted by fires and other disasters."

It takes just $88.50* to support a family of three with basic essentials for one day following a disaster that affects a community such as a tornado. A gift to our one-day awareness effort can provide urgent relief like a day's worth of food, plus blankets and other essentials.

Giving Day's #help1family effort can help a family begin to recover from a disaster by:

Supporting a family in urgent need by providing them with a day's worth of food and other essentials.
Delivering blankets to ensure families stay warm and can get a good night's sleep.
Providing clean-up kits after a disaster including vital items like mops, buckets and disinfectant.

Donations can be made now by visiting redcross.org/givingday. A $10 donation to the Red Cross can be made by texting REDCROSS to 90999. All donations will be processed on April 21, 2016.

*These figures are based on FY15 estimates

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 our Giving Day Supporters:
The American Red Cross is grateful for those donors that are making an impact to #help1family by supporting our Giving Day. They include: Sunoco, DraftKings, CDPHP, Herbalife, Starwood Retail Partners, Craig Newmark, Gail Lewis (in honor of Charles L. Lewis), and a generous friend from Sarasota, Florida. Thanks to the kindness of these and other supporters, the Red Cross is able to provide hope and urgent relief to people when they need it most.

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SOURCE American Red Cross