Once again, Red Cross Month is upon us.
Every year, for about 80 years, each U.S. president has designated March as a time to recognize the nonprofit’s efforts to provide disaster relief, health and safety training, lifesaving international services, service for military families and, of course, collection of blood donations. It is also a time to recognize the volunteers who make it possible and the donors who give their blood to help save lives.
Although, the local Red Cross at times had to cancel events such as blood drives because of the COVID-19 pandemic, needs for its services continued, said Abigail Anderson, executive director of the American Red Cross for Central and Northern Missouri.
The local chapter, which includes 27 counties that stretch from the Iowa border to Fort Leonard Wood, has continued to provide humanitarian services. It also continues to collect lifesaving blood.
It held a successful blood drive at Lincoln University last week, Anderson said, and exceeded its goals.
“There’s a constant need for blood. We’re dedicated to filling that need,” Anderson told members of the United Way of Central Missouri on Wednesday. The United Way volunteers were visiting the Red Cross as part of the annual funding allocation process, in which the organization reassesses the needs for all of its partner agencies.
The Red Cross chapter is part of a larger region containing Missouri and Arkansas, which is recognizing its volunteers throughout March. The region recently deployed 25 volunteers to help Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma with responses to recent winter storms. Five remain on the ground helping in Texas.
Already this year, severe weather has affected people across the nation. Severe winter weather forced the cancellation of blood drives in 30 states, affecting the collection of more than 20,000 blood, platelet and convalescent plasma donations in February alone.
There were also several tragedies in the Missouri and Arkansas region.
Fires are annually the emergencies to which the Red Cross most often responds, Anderson said. In the local region, volunteers responded to and provided comfort after more than 150 fires in February.
Disasters came in all sizes throughout 2020.
“Americans experienced more billion-dollar disasters in 2020 than any other year on record, and for many, the pandemic compounded the trauma and financial strain of disasters: Struggling families needed help quickly and faced more hurdles to recover, as increased anxiety exacerbated many health and mental health needs,” according to a Red Cross news release.
Trained Red Cross disaster mental health and spiritual care volunteers offered emotional support to more than 50,000 Americans in 2020.
Additionally, trained volunteers have given free crisis counseling for grieving families through the Red Cross Virtual Family Assistance Center.
The Red Cross asks that people support its disaster relief efforts by donating during Red Cross Giving Day — or any day for that matter. The seventh annual Red Cross Giving Day is March 24.