March is Red Cross Month
Every March the American Red Cross is honored and celebrated for its tireless work of bringing help and hope to people in need. In Vermont we are fortunate to have local and regional Red Cross teams of volunteers who are on call 24/7 to respond to emergencies and disasters.
Their valuable responses are most visible to Vermonters when they are caring for the survivors of fires or floods, opening a regional emergency shelter, or providing “canteen” services to first responders. What are much less visible are the programs that continuously strengthen our communities, creating those everyday heroes who help the Red Cross fulfill its mission. Red Cross trainings in CPR, water safety instruction, babysitting safety instruction, and first aid classes serve to protect people from everyday life hazards and to promote neighbors helping neighbors across the lifespan.
Another important protection program offered to Vermonters is the Red Cross distribution and installation of free home smoke alarms. As the main relief agency for victims of home-damaging, and sometimes lethal, household and apartment fires, this proactive, fire safety program saves property and lives. And then there are the Red Cross services for members of the Armed Forces and their families, the school safety initiatives, and then too, the critically valuable, life-saving benefits of the Red Cross blood donation drives. For information about blood drives, visit: https://www.redcrossblood.org/
During Red Cross Month, think about becoming a part of the Red Cross. For more information, contact your local Red Cross chapter or visit the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org for ways to help.
Search the Vermont 211 database using the following terms for additional information about Vermont’s American Red Cross chapters and their services.