Give Something that Means Something

By Los Angeles Region CEO, Jarrett Barrios

Every day, more than 35,000 people receive assistance from the Red Cross–that’s more than 1,400 people being helped every hour of every single day! That’s why, this Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for the generosity of our donors and the dedication of our volunteers—because your support fuels our mission to turn fear into hope and despair into determination.

In this season of giving, I am urging everyone to discover the difference you can make by finding new ways to support the work we do every day of the year. And, the best part is that this year, we’ve made it easy with four great ways to give! Beginning on November 28^th, in the spirit of #GivingTuesday, you can give blood, funds, time and comfort.

Here’s how you can help:

Give Blood: Donate at a blood drive near you, because a single blood donation can potentially save up to three lives! Schedule your donation appointment today.

Give Funds: Give Something that Means Something on Red Cross.org. Your donation can also support the American Red Cross in the GIVE Los Angeles challenge hosted by Los Angeles Magazine, where up to $15,000 in additional funds will be made available to the winning organization.

Give Time: Sign up to volunteer for an upcoming Sound the Alarm event to help us install free smoke alarms in vulnerable communities and reach our goal of reducing home fires by 25% by the year 2020.

Give Comfort: Purchase new, unused personal items for our Service to the Armed Forces and Veterans and International Services programs by visiting one of our online registries at Walmart, Target or Amazon . Your contribution will strengthen our commitment to members of the U.S. military, and help us continue to assist homeless veterans, hospitalized veterans, and service members and their families.

As you spend time with friends and family throughout this week and the entire 2017 holiday season, please know the great impact your support has had in helping us help others—during a time when help was needed most. Thank you, for everything you’re support has enabled us to do, like helping to end home fires here in Los Angeles, reconnecting families around the world, and providing hope for the millions of people affected by this year’s tragedies and natural disasters.

Jarrett Barrios is the Chief Executive Officer at the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. But, above all, Jarrett Barrios is a humanitarian with more than 20 years of experience helping people in need throughout the United States and Cuba.