Support Military Families in Honor of Military Appreciation Month

Volunteer with the Red Cross to turn 'thank you for your service' into action

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross provides support to our U.S. military community at every step of their career ? from the time a service member takes their oath to navigating life as a veteran and each event in between. You can find American Red Cross support of military communities across the globe at military hospitals, on installations locally and overseas and through local chapter offices in every state.

This month, the American Red Cross is inviting people around the country to turn 'Thank you for your service' into action. For those with a military background or just a heart for military and veteran communities, opportunities to volunteer and support are available.

"Oftentimes when military families go through a crisis, they are separated from their families and their support systems," said Michael Jordan, Vice President for Service to the Armed Forces & International Services. "Red Cross volunteers make a huge difference in the lives of military families through emergency relief, comfort and care during the most harrowing of times."

ANSWER EMERGENCY CALLS WITH THE HERO CARE NETWORK. The Red Cross Hero Care Network is a free, 24/7 support system for military and veteran families when they are facing life-changing events like the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a medical emergency or even a financial crisis. The Red Cross is the only organization to provide this emergency messaging service to separated and active-duty military families.

• Volunteers help serve members each day by answering calls, delivering messages and opening cases to support connections to additional resources.
• Over the last year, we assisted over 87,000 families with emergency situations, and provided nearly 136,000 families with critical community services.

VOLUNTEER AT A MILITARY OR VETERAN HOSPITAL. The Red Cross has medical and non-medical volunteers that help provide care, comfort and therapy at military medical facilities in the U.S. and all around the world.

• Medical Volunteers: Licensed doctors or nurses help support hospital staff in a variety of ways, including seeing patients in-person or through telehealth, nurse charting, answering calls and more.
• Non-medical Volunteers: Non-medical volunteers help with a variety of programs including visiting patients; manning coffee, snack and book carts; providing art and garden therapy classes; hosting animal visitation programs; and distributing care and comfort items to patients and medical staff.
• Over the last year, the Red Cross has distributed over 910,000 critical care and therapy items at medical facilities and helped rehabilitate nearly 150,000 patients.
  
  

TEACH MENTAL WELLNESS WORKSHOPS. The Red Cross conducts mental wellness courses, called Resiliency Workshops, for military and veteran families.

• Programs are free, confidential and offered in-person or online by licensed mental health professionals.
• The programs help service members, veterans and their families build resilience, manage stress and address trauma.
• Mental health professionals serve as volunteer leaders of Resiliency Workshops for military and veteran communities.
• Over the last year, the Red Cross provided more than 19,000 military families with support through Resiliency Workshops.

Volunteer today ? Turn your appreciation into action by volunteering with the Red Cross. To learn more, visit redcross.org/volunteer or contact your local Red Cross chapter to learn about open availabilities.

Visit www.redcross.org/saf for full information about programs that support military communities.

NATIONAL DONORS JOIN LONG LEGACY OF RED CROSS MILITARY SUPPORT

Generous donations from Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Giving Program (SAFGP) members enable the American Red Cross to maintain a global network of thousands of volunteers and employees to support the military 365 days a year through emergency communications, training, community resources and support to ill and injured service members and veterans. Contributions from partners like Lockheed Martin Corporation, Oxy, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., USAA and Wilf Family Foundations ensure the Red Cross is there 24/7 to provide comfort and care to members of the military, veterans and their families as they prepare for, cope with and respond to the challenges of military service.

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