American Red Cross Launches New Hero Care App

New free app puts Red Cross services at the fingertips of military and veteran communities

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Sep 13, 2016, 08:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is unveiling a new Hero Care App to help members of the military, veterans and their families identify and access both emergency and non-emergency Red Cross services from anywhere in the world.

"When you're a military family in the middle of an emergency, the worst feeling in the world is not knowing how to reach your loved one to bring them home or how to get access quickly to important emergency services," said Koby Langley, senior vice president for Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red Cross. "That's why the Red Cross has designed the new Hero Care App - whether you're the parent of a child joining the military, a military member, a military spouse or a veteran, you can now instantly be connected to vital services and valuable resources that will help alleviate stress and get you important information right at your fingertips."

Some the important features of the app include:

Request Red Cross emergency services, to include an emergency message or assistance with emergency travel or emergency financial aid.
Securely and easily access information about their service member in the case of an emergency, including updated information as they move or change duty assignments.
Access non-emergency Red Cross behavioral health assistance including financial assistance and free local workshops for military kids and spouses.
Find local resources and information provided by trusted community partners like Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Blue Star Families, Military Child Education Coalition, United Way, Goodwill, Easter Seals, and others.
Locate information on key government resources such as MilitaryOneSource, VA Benefits and Services, Department of Labor VETS, the VA Caregiver Support Program, and SAMSHA Community Health Support Services.

Content in the Hero Care App is available in both English and Spanish, and the call center is staffed 24/7 with multi-lingual translation services.

"Our troops and their families sacrifice a lot to protect us all, and we should do what we can to help out," said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist & craigconnects. "Helping vets and their families through a rough patch should be and easy and effective as we can make it. The new Hero Care App does that, by making it easy to find vital Red Cross and other needed services."

The Hero Care App is available to download for free in app stores, by texting 'GETHEROCARE' to 90999 or by clicking on the following link from a mobile device http://3cu.be/sharehc.

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.

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SOURCE American Red Cross