Red Cross: Resolve to Give Before End of 2016; Help People in Need this Holiday Season

15 large disasters occurred in 2016; 50% more than in 2015; thousands affected

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Dec 27, 2016, 07:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 2016 is slowly coming to a close and many people are thinking about their New Year's resolutions. The American Red Cross asks them to remember the thousands of people who needed help this year and give something that means something by making a tax-deductible donation to the Red Cross before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.

2016 Disasters: A Year-in-Review by the American Red Cross

Red Cross volunteer Mary Martin spends time with a 3-year-old shelter resident in Fair Bluff, North Carolina during Hurricane Matthew in October 2016.

"We are depending on everyone's support during this holiday season to enable us to help people in need throughout the year," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "Many people make their charitable donations during these last days of December, and we ask them to remember the Red Cross and the thousands of people we help each day of the year when making their contributions."

More than 32,000 Red Cross disaster volunteers from all over the country provided the following this year (as of December 4):

More than 200,000 overnight stays in more than 600 shelters
Served more than 4.1 million meals and snacks with the help of partners
Distributed more than 2.1 million relief items to people affected by these disasters

In addition to responding to large and small disasters every year, the American Red Cross provides:

Almost 7 million blood products to meet the needs of patients in as many as 2,600 hospitals across the country.
More than 352,000 services to members of the military, veterans and civilians
Training for more than 6.25 million people a year in first aid, water safety and other skills that help save lives.
Help for more than 140 million people outside the country every year through disaster management and prevention activities

Making charitable contributions at the end of the year is part of many holiday traditions. The Red Cross depends on these end-of-year donations to provide support, strength and hope to people in need and urges everyone to visit here to see how they can support the Red Cross mission.

A donation to the American Red Cross helps where it's needed most—please give something that means something before the clock strikes midnight on December 31.

About our Corporate Holiday Supporters
During this holiday season, the American Red Cross is grateful for those corporate donors that generously contribute to our Holiday Giving Campaign. They include Circle K West Coast and Florida Divisions and Mazda and its Dealers. Thanks to the generosity of these and other supporters, the Red Cross is able to bring help and hope to people across the country. To learn more about our corporate holiday supporters, visit redcross.org/corporate-holiday-supporters.

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.

SOURCE American Red Cross