Corporate Partners Help American Red Cross Prepare for Hurricane Season

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the 2014 Hurricane season begins, the American Red Cross is ready to help people when disasters strike, thanks to the help of more than 95 leading corporations that give through the organization's Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder Program.

Members of both programs pledge donations in advance of major disasters, which provide the Red Cross with a reliable funding base to immediately respond during and after a disaster. Funding from members supports Red Cross disaster relief activities, including sheltering, feeding, purchasing and distributing relief supplies, storing equipment, providing health and emotional support and reconnecting individuals separated during disasters.

"Every day throughout the year, the Red Cross is on the front lines helping people who have been affected by home fires, natural disasters and countless other devastating emergencies, and we are so grateful for our Annual Disaster Giving Program and Disaster Responder partners," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO at the American Red Cross. "Their commitment to our mission allows the Red Cross to have vital resources in place before a disaster strikes so we can respond immediately with relief and support to communities in need nationwide."

The 2014 hurricane season outlook of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center is for a 50 percent chance of a below-normal hurricane season, a 40 percent chance of a near-normal season and only a 10 percent chance of an above-normal season. However, it only takes one major storm to devastate a community. It is imperative for communities to prepare now for the unexpected.

People who live in a hurricane-prone area can prepare before a hurricane strikes by developing a family emergency and evacuation plan and building a disaster kit with basic supplies—water, first aid kit, flashlight, non-perishable food items and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.  Individuals should also download the free Red Cross Hurricane App for more information to keep their family safe before, during and after a storm.

The generous investments from ADGP and Disaster Responder members enable the Red Cross to prepare communities for disasters big and small, respond whenever and wherever disasters occur and help families during the recovery process.  

The 2014 members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program are: 3M; Altria Group; American Express; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Aon; AT&T; Bank of America; BNY Mellon; Caterpillar Inc.; CHS Foundation; Cisco Foundation; Citi Foundation; Community Safety Foundation, funded by CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer; ConAgra Foods Foundation; Costco Wholesale Corporation; Darden Restaurants Foundation; Dell Inc.; Discover; Disney; Dr Pepper Snapple Group; eBay Inc.; Edison International; FedEx Corporation; GE Foundation; Grainger; H-E-B; Hewlett-Packard Company Foundation; The Home Depot; Humble Bundle; John Deere Foundation; Johnson Controls; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Kraft Foods Group Foundation; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Mazda North American Operations; Medtronic; Meijer; Merck & Co., Inc.; Mondelez International Foundation; National Grid; Nationwide Insurance Foundation; Northrop Grumman Corporation; PepsiCo Foundation; Samsung; Southwest Airlines; Sprint; State Farm; Target; TD Ameritrade; The Pew Charitable Trusts; The TJX Companies, Inc.; United Airlines; United Technologies Corporation; University of Phoenix; UPS; US Airways; VSP Vision Care; Walmart; Wawa; WellPoint Foundation; and Wells Fargo.

The 2014 members of the Red Cross Disaster Responder Program are: Alcoa; ArcelorMittal; AstraZeneca; AXA Foundation; Ball Corporation; Carlson Rezidor Hotels; The Clorox Company; Delta Air Lines; Farmers Insurance; Ford Motor Company; General Motors Foundation; H&M; H&R Block; Ingersoll Rand Foundation; Land O'Lakes, Inc.; Marsh & McLennan Companies; MetLife Foundation; Morgan Stanley; New Balance Foundation; Northwestern Mutual and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Procter & Gamble Company; PuroClean; Residence Inn by Marriott; Ryder Charitable Foundation; Starbucks Coffee Company and Starbucks Foundation; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Foundation, Inc.; State Street; Sunoco; Texas Instruments; T O Y O T A; UBS Americas; US Bank; and Western Union Foundation.

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.

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SOURCE American Red Cross