Corporations and organizations support American Red Cross preparedness and disaster relief work

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During National Preparedness Month this September, the American Red Cross is recognizing more than 110 leading corporations, foundations and organizations that comprise its Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder Program. Fueled by year-round contributions by these supporters, the Red Cross is prepared to help meet the needs of people affected by disasters big and small, anytime and anywhere across the U.S.?even in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?including recent disasters like Hurricane Laura and the California wildfires.

Through these giving programs, members pledge financial and in-kind donations in advance of major disasters, powering the Red Cross with strong infrastructure, trained volunteers, innovative technology and critical resources necessary to meet urgent needs of disaster survivors. These donations keep the Red Cross ready to respond to disasters at a moment's notice?offering a safe place to sleep, a hot meal, emotional support and resources to aid in recovery?while also helping prepare people and communities for disasters yet to come.

This year, the chance of tremendous human suffering is even more pronounced due to the coronavirus pandemic and its enormous impacts on the economy and health care systems. Support from ADGP and Disaster Responder Program members helped enable the Red Cross to rapidly adapt services to help keep disaster survivors and workers healthy, and plan ahead with response partners to ensure we can provide the critical support that people will need this disaster season.

"The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated that readiness is more important than ever," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the Red Cross. "Advance commitments from ADGP and Disaster Responder Program members gave us the resources we needed to plan quickly, including taking unprecedented steps to adjust how we deliver services in local communities, while also protecting disaster survivors and our workers. As the pandemic continues and as we enter the height of what is already a busy hurricane and wildfire season, we are incredibly grateful for these forward-thinking donors that help us continue our mission-critical services."

Since July, the Red Cross has responded to a string of crises across the country?from Hurricane Laura, one of most powerful storms to ever hit the U.S.; to devastating wildfires igniting across California and other western states; to a catastrophic derecho that caused widespread destruction across the Midwest. Contributions in place from ADGP and Disaster Responder members enabled the Red Cross to mobilize supplies and volunteers to respond immediately and safely with help for tens of thousands of people that included:

• Serving over 718,100 nourishing meals and snacks with our partners
• Providing more than 306,500 overnight shelter and hotel stays with partners for those displaced by disasters
• Making nearly 39,000 individual care contacts to support any physical, mental health, disability and spiritual needs

Disaster response efforts are guided by our work with state and local government partners, and in this pandemic environment, are evolving to integrate new protocols to help keep everyone safe, even as we make sure that people get the help they need. While the nation is practicing social distancing, we're now providing some disaster relief virtually, including mental health support and financial assistance. For families seeking shelter, we have plans in place to reduce risks?such as social distancing protocols, face coverings, health screenings, prioritizing individual hotel rooms and opening more shelters that can support fewer people than normal. In the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, teams of volunteers circulated through accessible areas every day to assess damage and provide ready-to-eat meals, water and snacks, and thousands of people traveled to service sites set up by the Red Cross and our partners to get water, food and emergency relief supplies. Now, as a normal part of the disaster cycle, our efforts will focus on casework services and individual recovery planning.

While large disasters like hurricanes and wildfires typically draw national attention, generous contributions from ADGP and Disaster Responder members also power the Red Cross to provide critical services to people impacted by the nation's greatest disaster threat?home fires. Since we first started to see the coronavirus impact the U.S. in February, Red Cross workers have helped more than 133,000 people recover from more than 30,000 home fires nationwide. To help keep everyone safe and follow social distancing guidelines, Red Cross volunteers are working with local fire departments to connect with families by phone or video calls, offering a sympathetic ear and linking them to available support, such as providing hotel stays and emergency financial assistance.

Just as the Red Cross prepares for disasters, it's also important for people to prepare. The ongoing pandemic may have shifted emergency plans, which is why it is more important than ever to prepare in advance by taking three simple actions: 1) Get a kit. 2) Make a plan. 3) Be informed. Individuals can download the free Red Cross Emergency App, or text GETEMERGENCY to 90999, to get lifesaving preparedness information and weather alerts in the palm of their hand.

The American Red Cross thanks these program members for their generous contributions.

The current members of the Red Cross $1M Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) are: Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Anthem Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; The Home Depot Foundation; Latter-day Saint Charities; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Marathon Petroleum Foundation, Inc.; Microsoft Corp.; Nationwide Foundation; State Farm; Truist Foundation; UPS; VSP Global; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; and Wells Fargo.

The current members of the Red Cross $500,000 Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) are: Altria Group; Aon; Capital One; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; The Coca-Cola Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental Community Care Foundation; Discover; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Fidelity Charitable Trustees' Initiative; Ford Motor Company; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Grainger; HCA Healthcare; IBM Corporation; International Paper; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; LHC Group; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Merck Foundation; Mondel?z International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; Progressive Insurance; PwC Charitable Foundation; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Sands Cares; Southwest Airlines; The Starbucks Foundation; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; The USAA Foundation, Inc.; Visa Foundation; and The Wawa Foundation.

The current members of the Red Cross $250,000 Disaster Responder Program are: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; American Express; Assurant; AstraZeneca; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; The Ball Foundation; Barclays; BMW of North America; CarMax; Choice Hotels International; Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; Consumer Cellular; CSX; DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation; Dominion Energy; Duke Energy; Duke Realty; Equitable; Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; Humble Bundle; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; Lenovo; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Mastercard; Neiman Marcus Group; Northrop Grumman; Northwestern Mutual and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Old Dominion Freight Line; The Pfizer Foundation; Procter & Gamble; Prudential Financial; Raytheon Technologies; Rodan + Fields Prescription for Change Foundation; Ryder System, Inc.; Security Finance's Lending Hand Foundation; Southeastern Grocers Home of BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Tata Consultancy Services; TD Ameritrade; Trane Technologies Charitable Foundation; U-Haul International; and U.S. Bank 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 cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross