You can help bring help and hope to people facing disaster or emergencies.
On Thursday, April 21st, 2016, the American Red Cross is holding its 2016 Giving Day. "The one-day event is designed to rally the public to support the Red Cross as it meets its critical and lifesaving mission of helping families who have been affected by disaster or emergencies," according to a press release.
"By supporting the American Red Cross, you assure that our neighbors here in our community are taken care of during times of disaster - whether that be a home fire or a tornado or flood or other disaster," added Amber Wood, Executive Director of the American Red Cross in the Quad Cities and West-Central Illinois.
"The American Red Cross is only able to deliver these services because of the generosity of the public. We are not a government-funded agency, so donations like those we receive from Giving Day are a critical part of what allow us to deliver our mission each and every day."
For example, the Red Cross is working around the clock right now to help more than 3 million Americans dealing with historic flooding in Central and East Texas. Workers with the Red Cross are on the ground - providing shelter, meals, and comfort to thousands of families evacuated from their homes.
"The urgency of supporting the American Red Cross is felt by everyone who's able to support those relief efforts," explained Wood. "This is a very large scale operation in the floods in Houston and it's going to be months that we're working with these individuals that have been impacted."
Your donations also help the Red Cross respond to local disasters - like last month's tornadoes. In fact, the Red Cross has responded to three times more large weather-related disaster so far in Fiscal Year 2016 than the last three previous years combined.
To donate, click here or you can text "RED CROSS" to 9-0-9-9-9 to make an instant $10 donation.