Community Safety Foundation Gives $1 Million to American Red Cross

News provided by

Sep 07, 2012, 01:00 ET

Donation Brings Foundation's Total 2012 Red Cross Gift to $2 Million

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Community Safety Foundation, a private nonprofit organization funded by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange, a major provider of AAA-branded insurance, is making a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO)

This donation, made in honor of September National Preparedness Month, will be used by the Red Cross to fund disaster training and preparedness efforts throughout the United States. This new donation is in addition to a previous $1 million donation in June by the Community Safety Foundation.

"This generous donation will help the Red Cross keep thousands of people in communities safer by providing free disaster preparedness in all the regions where the insurance company has employees," said Jerry DeFrancisco, President of Humanitarian Services at the Red Cross. "The $2 million in donations in just three months shows the importance that the Community Safety Foundation is placing on disaster preparedness."

The Community Safety Foundation, which was launched in June, 2012, is dedicated to improving the safety and security of the communities served by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange by making strategic philanthropic grants to improve community safety and disaster preparedness and provide consumer and insurance education. AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange offers AAA-branded insurance to 17 million AAA members in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

"We're so proud to be partnering with the American Red Cross for this important work," said Rose Guilbault, Community Safety Foundation President. "We knew when we launched our Foundation in June that we really wanted to focus our efforts on getting our communities prepared in advance of disasters and the Red Cross is the undisputed leader in this area."

The donation was presented to the Red Cross during a press conference today in Walnut Creek, California attended by Guilbault, Red Cross officials, and Paula Downey, CEO of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange. Downey announced during the press conference that, as part of its commitment to community and employee safety, during the month of September, AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange is providing basic CPR and preparedness training to all of the company's 3,400 employees nationwide. The employee training was made possible through a separate Red Cross donation made directly by the insurance company.

In addition to funding free disaster training, with its donation the Community Safety Foundation becomes a member of the Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). The ADGP members enable the Red Cross to respond immediately to the needs of individuals and families impacted by disaster anywhere in the United States by building a reliable funding base for disaster relief services. The Community Safety Foundation will also be a partner for the Red Cross' holiday campaign.

About the Community Safety Foundation
Launched in 2012, the Community Safety Foundation is a private nonprofit organization funded by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange. The Foundation makes strategic philanthropic grants to improve community safety and disaster preparedness, provide consumer and insurance education and contribute to the quality of life in the communities served by the insurance company. The Community Safety Foundation is also dedicated to expanding on the personal philanthropic efforts of company employees by supporting a charitable matching gift program.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 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 join our blog at blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross