⛄❄✨ Your generosity is spreading holiday cheer

The people you’ve helped with your compassion and support Having trouble viewing this message? [Click Here]( [American Red Cross]( December 2021 [GIVE TODAY]( [Crossnotes]( [American Red Cross founder Clara Barton]( This December 25 marks the 200th birthday of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton — and as we recognize her contributions, we also want to thank you for the unending support and passion that you bring to help others. Supporters like you embody Clara’s mission of turning compassion into action by strengthening your communities, saving lives and delivering hope to families enduring the darkest moments of their lives. [View this video to learn more about the legacy Clara has inspired in the work we do together every day!]( [SUPPORT CLARA’S LEGACY]( Your time can mean everything to an individual or family in their darkest moments. Giving a few hours a month as a disaster or blood volunteer is the ultimate gift. Give the gift of time and turn tragedy into hope this holiday season. [Learn about our most-needed volunteer positions at redcross.org/VolunteerToday]( [Read Jennifer's story]( Donors gave her the chance to return home [READ MORE]( On July 9, 2020, Jennifer Sahni gave birth to her baby girl, Millie, by way of an unscheduled c-section. After delivery, Jennifer’s cesarean incision would not stop bleeding. She received two blood transfusions and was able to go home thanks to blood already available. “I am so grateful to the people who donated the blood I received,” Jennifer said. “Because of them, I was able to go home and be with my kids. It doesn’t take much to do it, and you could be saving someone’s life. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that you’re helping other people.” [Read Jennifer’s full story here.]( [Watch the video here]( Red Cross mission in the Mediterranean Sea [SEE MORE]( “The sea can be a dangerous place,” said Jenelle Eli from the deck of the Ocean Viking. Eli, who is an American Red Cross employee deployed on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is working alongside NGO SOS MEDITERRANEE to rescue people from the waters of the central Mediterranean Sea. In November, the crew rescued nearly 140 people, some of whom were women and children. Eli says that her biggest hope is that people will feel safe and cared for while onboard. [See the full story here.]( [Give the gift of stock]( Did you know you can give a gift of stock to the American Red Cross? [LEARN MORE]( Giving gifts of stock to the American Red Cross offers a simple and tax-advantaged way to grow your annual gift, facilitate your philanthropic goals and make an even greater impact for those who rely on our lifesaving services. When you make a gift of appreciated stock that is more than 1 year old, you receive tangible tax-savings and benefits by avoiding the capital gains tax that would be due upon selling the stock, while also supporting our vital humanitarian mission. [Visit our website to learn more or speak with your stockbroker about giving a gift of stock to the Red Cross today.]( [Why I Give] [Meet Chris now!]( An advocate for disability rights [MEET CHRIS]( Chris comes from a long line of public servants — so it was easy for him to say yes when the Red Cross offered him his first job out of college, working in emergency services. Fourteen years later, he's still giving back to his community, both as a social worker and as an advocate for the needs of people with disabilities. [Read more about how Chris's invaluable perspective is helping the Red Cross ensure that everyone is served equitably in an emergency.]( [Meet the Red Cross volunteers abroad]( Hope for Afghan children [LEARN MORE]( Red Cross volunteer and Air Force spouse Erika Ellsworth says that she hopes Afghan children going through trauma will view themselves as dandelions: “The wind may take them and carry them somewhere new. They are light but strong and I hope they will be nourished and thrive when they land at a new place,” she said, noting that her goal as a volunteer is to give children the tools to be the best dandelions. Erika and fellow Red Cross volunteers helped create the Child Enrichment Center on Rhine Ordnance Barracks in Germany, providing structured play and therapy to more than 1,000 Afghan children. [Learn more about the Red Cross volunteers working with children from Afghanistan.]( [Thanks to our generous supporters!]( Thanks to the generosity of these corporate supporters, the Red Cross is able to bring help and hope to people across the country. [Learn more about our Holiday Partners.]( [Red Cross Apps]( Get access to decades of Red Cross knowledge at your fingertips! [Download our FREE mobile apps]( today and get the tools and preparedness information that you need. Available on [App Store®]( or [Google Play™](. [Apple Store]( [Google Play]( Get more of the latest Red Cross news - [Thank You for Your Support this Giving Tuesday]( - [COVID-19 News: Safety during the Holidays]( - [Red Cross Aid to Evacuees at Home and Abroad]( [Champions]( Make a monthly donation and receive a special Red Cross Pin as our way of saying thanks! [BECOME A CHAMPION]( [Gail] 2021 has been a year like no other: our first full year since the start of a pandemic that changed all of our lives. A year when countless families were confronted with the devastation wrought by extreme natural disasters. And a year that brought our Red Cross community together like never before, showing what it truly means to help a neighbor in need. As we head into 2022, I am humbled and grateful to be a part of this uniquely generous community we have built together. [Because of supporters like you, our annual Holiday Giving Drive is already on track to make a difference in the lives of more people than ever — and if you haven't had a chance to make your life-changing gift yet, there's still time to contribute.]( Please know that your commitment to helping others shines through each and every day, bringing comfort and hope in even the toughest times to families facing hardship during the holidays. On behalf of all of us here at the Red Cross, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season filled with love and good cheer. With joy and warmth, [Gail McGovern] Gail McGovern President and CEO American Red Cross [Subscribe]( | [Contact Us]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Staying in touch via the American Red Cross email list is the best way we have of keeping in regular contact with supporters like you, letting you know about how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from disasters and other emergencies, and how you can support our life-saving work. [Click here]( to unsubscribe from our list, but please know that if you leave, it will be harder for you to stay involved with the Red Cross and continue the work of which you’ve been such a critical part. It is only because of supporters like you that the Red Cross is able to respond when a disaster strikes or a home is impacted by fire, when someone needs CPR or a lifesaving blood transfusion, or when a family needs to contact a deployed service member in an emergency. And we don’t want to lose you! Thanks for your support! © [2021 American Red Cross]( | 431 18th Street NW Washington DC 20006 Donate by phone: 1-800-RED CROSS(1-800-733-2767) | [Donate by Mail]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Twitter]( [Flickr]( [A gift of any size]( supports all of the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross. [BBB] [Seal of Transparency - 2019 Platinum]( [90¢] The Red Cross is proud that an average of 90 cents of every dollar we spend is invested in delivering care and comfort to those in need.