Telethon to Support Red Cross Work to Help Veterans with PTSD

Homeward Bound Telethon airs Sunday, November 10 on the Military Channel

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross will be one of five beneficiaries of a Homeward Bound Telethon on November 10 being put on by Haven from the Storm, a nonprofit that aids service members coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

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

The telethon, in honor of Veterans Day, airs live on the Military Channel from the American Legion Hall in Hollywood, CA from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. PST (7 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST.)  

The Red Cross will receive 20 percent of the proceeds to support its Service to Armed Forces (SAF) programs, including workshops that help service members and their families through the challenges of deployment and reintegration. Other programs include suicide prevention support and volunteerism in Veterans Administration hospitals in the U.S. and military hospitals across nation and the world.

Actors Alan Alda and Joe Mantegna will host the four-hour telethon, which will feature celebrity guests and Red Cross volunteer, Dr. Inge Guen, a clinical psychologist who specializes in TBI, as well as Suzy DeFrancis, chief public affairs officer and mother of a Marine currently serving overseas.

"I became a Red Cross volunteer after meeting a triple amputee while visiting wounded soldiers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center," said Dr. Guen. "That experience led to years of assisting service members and their families who have suffered through some of the most traumatic experiences while deployed. I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Red Cross to help those in need." 

"Last year, Red Cross handled 400 suicide-related calls in our Emergency Communications Center," said DeFrancis. "That's why we focus on helping our military and their families cope with the unseen wounds of war."

In addition to calling in donations, viewers can visit Redcross.org/military to make a donation. For more information, viewers can also follow the Homeward Bound Telethon Facebook and Twitter pages. Viewers are encouraged use the hashtag #HBTelethon when posting on their social media pages.

The Red Cross has also launched its Holiday Mail for Heroes program, which enables individuals to sign and send a holiday card to veterans, active and reserve U.S. service members around the world. Viewers can contact their local Red Cross chapter to find a card signing event in their area.  

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 visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross