March is Red Cross Month. Clara Barton and a circle of acquaintances founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881. Clara Barton was inspired by the Swiss-based International Red Cross while in Europe. Upon returning home, she campaigned for an American Red Cross society and for ratification of the Geneva Convention protecting the war-injured, which the United States ratified in 1882. The American Red Cross in an independent, volunteer-led organization, financially supported by voluntary public contributions. The President of the United States is honorary chairman of the American Red Cross.For years we have admired the American Red Cross for the wonderful work they do across the country and around the world. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week more than a half a million Red Cross volunteers and 35,000 employees are committed to making our homes, workplaces and communities safer and healthier. They show us how to prepare for emergencies from hurricanes to heart attacks. They teach us to swim and how to save lives. They respond immediately to provide food, shelter and comfort in communities large and small when the lives of victims are disrupted by 70,000 disasters annually. And they supply more than half of the nation’s blood supply. They help families communicate emergency messages to soldiers far from home.As an International member of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, which it helped found in 1919, the American Red Cross provides support for health programs and emergency responses in bringing aid to victims of disasters around the world. It works closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross on matters of international conflict and social, political, and military unrest. The American Red Cross is an amazing organization and we are so glad to be a part of it. None of this would be possible of course without donations from our neighbors and friends within our society. The Red Cross Training Center is an authorized provider for American Red Cross programs. We teach skills to help save the life of a family member, a co-worker, a friend or a neighbor. We believe in helping people prepare for, respond to and recognize many kinds of emergencies. Train with us and help support your local 5American Red Cross fulfill its mission!“Alone we can do little; together we can do so much” Helen Keller
