The American Red Cross celebrates its 141st anniversary today! ARC provides disaster relief, disaster preparedness education, and emergency services in the United States as well as internationally through its affiliation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The US has been facing a critical blood shortage since the beginning of the pandemic. Overall blood donation has declined 10% since March 2020. One of the largest contributing factors is a 65% drop in high school and college blood drives. Click here to find a blood drive near you. For residents in Northern Ohio, monetary donations are currently being matched dollar for dollar up to $500,000 by a generous supporter. Make a financial contribution here.

Those who received a COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to donate. The only exceptions to donating right away are if you don't know which vaccine you got or you participated as part of a clinical trial not authorized in the US. If this applies to you then you will need to wait 2 weeks after your shot before donating. If you know the manufacturer of your vaccine and aren't presenting any symptoms of illness, you don't have to wait before making a blood donation. It is recommended that you bring your vaccination card with you to your next donation. Get more info on eligibility requirements here.

In addition to donating blood and blood components, ARC has an urgent need for volunteers. Extreme weather such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires have become much more frequent in recent years. The Red Cross workforce is made up of 90% volunteers who respond to an average of 600,000 disasters each year. The majority of these disasters are home or apartment fires. Search for volunteer opportunities.

Have you been affected by a fire or other disaster? Contact The Red Cross for assistance.

Residents of Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Wood Counties in Ohio and Monroe County in Michigan: 419-329-2900, option 1.
Residents of Hancock, Putnam, Seneca and Wyandot Counties: 419-422-9322. 
Residents of Lorain, Erie and Huron Counties: 440-324-2929.
Residents of Wayne, Holmes, and Ashland Counties: 330-264-9383.

interesting facts about the red cross

• The International Committee of the Red Cross has won the most Nobel Peace Prizes of any organization
• ARC has responded to 3 million disasters in the United States since 1881
• ARC started its campaign to teach families fire safety, escape plans, and smoke alarm installation 8 years ago. Since then, at least 1,275 lives have been saved during house fires
• Every 2 seconds someone in the US needs blood or platelets
• The Red Cross supplies nearly 40% of blood and blood components in the United States