University of Phoenix and American Red Cross Partner to Support Military Families and Disaster Victims

University Becomes a Founding Member of Service to the Armed Forces Giving Program

WASHINGTON and PHOENIX, Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross announced today that University of Phoenix^® will become one of the founding members of the new Service to the Armed Forces Giving Program. This program supports Red Cross efforts to help military members, their families and veterans and recognizes donors who make the commitment to support the armed forces. In addition, the University has made a financial commitment to support the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, which helps provide immediate response to disasters nationwide. The University is also sponsoring the annual Red Cross Holiday Campaign.

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"The American Red Cross is committed to improving the lives of others – a mission we share at University of Phoenix," said Dr. Bill Pepicello, president, University of Phoenix. "Every day we support our students, working directly to help them improve their prospects in life. By supporting the American Red Cross, the University has the opportunity to expand its reach beyond our students to support military personnel and their families around the world and help victims of disaster in their hour of need."

"The generous support of University of Phoenix will make such a difference for America's military families as well as the people and communities affected by disasters," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "It's partnerships like this that enable the Red Cross to provide services to more than 137,000 military families and relief to the victims of nearly 70,000 disasters each year. We are very grateful for their support of our lifesaving mission."

The University's support of the Service to Armed Forces program will help the Red Cross provide counseling and guidance to military members and their families; training and support throughout the deployment process; emergency financial assistance and referrals; and, communication services connecting service members with their families back home when an emergency strikes.

As members of the Annual Disaster Giving Program, University of Phoenix will fund disaster preparedness and relief in advance of major disasters allowing the Red Cross to pre-position resources and be ready to respond immediately. When a disaster strikes, trained relief workers are quickly deployed along with supplies and equipment to provide shelters, meals and material and emotional support when it's needed most.

The University has also joined the Red Cross in supporting the Holiday Mail for Heroes program on several of its campuses. Holiday Mail for Heroes is an effort to collect and distribute holiday cards to members of the armed forces, veterans and military families. University campuses joined with local Red Cross chapters to host public card signing events during November, where thousands of cards were signed at more than 40 locations.

Last year alone, the Red Cross provided 386,000 emergency services to America's military families and resources and care to the victims of nearly 200 disasters each day in the U.S., ranging from home fires to hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and accidents.

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 join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix® is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning can help students pursue personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. As the flagship university of  Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit http://www.phoenix.edu.

SOURCE American Red Cross