This spring, families across the country, and even here in the Illinois Region, may suddenly discover they need a safe place to sleep, a warm meal, and help replacing essentials that have been lost in minutes.
This is the time of year that severe and volatile weather loves the most. That spike in severe weather increases the risks of flooding from coast to coast. Wildfires also add a threat to the drought stricken Southwest to Southeast.
The American Red Cross of Illinois is urging you to help out of you can. You can help ensure families don’t face these tragic and life changing disasters alone on Red Cross Giving Day. Red Cross Giving Day takes place today and you can support disaster relief at redcross.org/givingday.
According to a report by the American Red Cross, January produced severe winter storms that forced families across multiple states to turn to The Red Cross for support. In that specific month alone, the organization provided more meals and snacks than during the previous years record breaking wildfires in Los Angeles.
In February, The Red Cross opened more than 100 shelters across the country for families displaced by winter storms stretching from California to the Northeast, alongside of extensive flooding on the West Coast and Wildfires across the Plains.
To narrow it down to Just Illinois, The American Red Cross states that over the past year Illinoisans have experienced disasters such as the Kankakee Tornado Response, which impacted hundreds of people.
Additionally, local volunteers have provided comfort and hope to over 2,275 people after 475 house fires across Illinois since January 1st.
Donating on Giving Day provides assistance to The Red Cross with stocking warehouses with urgently needed relief supplies, training volunteers in advance so they can respond immediately, maintain ready vehicles, logistic systems and equipment, set up shelters quickly in pre-identified and safe locations, and making sure families aren’t all alone in their first few hours of tragedy.
According to the Red Cross, a gift of any size makes a difference. If financial support isnt an option, donating blood or volunteering for relief efforts is just as appreciated.
The American Red Cross states also that they need blood now more than ever. This years severe weather impact has already caused thousands of blood donations to be forced to go uncollected. Donors in unaffected ares make it possible for the Red Cross to continue meeting patient needs.
