December 15, 2015
To:
Total Quality Logistics (TQL)
From:
American Red Cross Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Area Chapter
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Every day across America, men and women answer our nation’s call to serve in the United States Armed Forces. These heroes and their families assume great responsibility and face challenges unique to military life, including multiple deployments, separation from loved ones and risk of injury and death. We cannot eliminate these difficulties, but we can ensure that military members, veterans and their families never face them alone, especially during the holiday season. The American Red Cross is beside our heroes from the day they enlist, throughout their military careers and beyond. The Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) division provides critical services with a caring touch wherever and whenever it is needed—24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. One of our most celebrated programs within SAF is the Holiday Mail for Heroes card campaign that allows communities to express gratitude and appreciation for service members and their families during the holiday season. We, at the American Red Cross, feel strongly that the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign is a valuable part of our local work. In 2014, the chapter provided more than 33,000 holiday greetings to military heroes and their families. In order to continue this time honored tradition, the Red Cross must secure reliable funding for our Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. We invite Total Quality Logistics (TQL) to consider a gift of $10,000 to our Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign to ensure that those who have so valiantly served our country will continue to have our support every step of the way and especially during the holiday season.
Summary of Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) The American Red Cross’ unwavering commitment to members of the U.S. military, its veterans and their families continues to grow and develop more than a century after Clara Barton first recruited nurses to support the U.S. Army. Today, the Red Cross is meeting the needs of our military members and expanding services to veterans. Over the past several decades, many service members have experienced multiple deployments with limited time off between them. This has often resulted in physical and emotional separations from loved ones during everyday activities, as well as significant life events. In addition, some service members are returning from deployments with more extensive physical
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and emotional injuries that require long-term rehabilitation and support. Furthermore, some experience challenges associated with reintegration into civilian life after deployment. For more than 130 years, the American Red Cross SAF has provided critical assistance and resources to meet the needs of these families. These services are provided as part of the organization’s 1905 Congressional Charter. With a global network of 11,000 volunteers and employees in 1,200 offices across the U.S. and its territories, including offices on military installations worldwide, the Red Cross creates a web of support, providing assistance wherever and whenever it is needed.
“There are no quick, viable options for providing emergency communications services…other than through the American Red Cross.”
The American Red Cross is an independent entity that is organized and exists as a nonprofit, taxexempt, charitable institution pursuant to a charter granted to us by the United States Congress.
Today, as part of our Federal Charter established in 1905 and our mission to prevent and alleviate human – U.S. Department of Defense suffering in the face of emergencies, the Red Cross supports the U.S. military through our Service to the Armed Forces (SAF), which ensures active-duty military personnel, veterans and their families have reliable humanitarian services across the globe. Current Programs As the longest-standing organization serving America’s military families, the Red Cross provides reliable care through the following three programs:
Who We Serve: • Over 1.3 million active duty members of the U.S. military • 900,000 members of the U.S. National Guard and Reserve • 21.2 million veterans • 3 million U.S. military family members
Emergency Services — When significant family emergencies occur, the Red Cross is a gateway to a network of comprehensive assistance. The U.S. Department of Defense relies solely on us to obtain verified reports of family events, such as births, illness or deaths, enabling service members and their commanders to assess the need for the service person to return home. We also help identify and provide access to resources, including financial assistance, in response to a family’s emergency needs.
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Building Family Resiliency — The Red Cross works to strengthen families’ capacities to cope with the unique demands of military life. This is achieved through briefings on services; mental health, preparedness, health and safety courses; health-care job-certification training; and volunteer, networking and support opportunities—all delivered in local communities across the nation and on military installations around the globe. Hospital Programs — Red Cross volunteers and employees work hand-in-hand with military and Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics to provide rehabilitation therapy, morale-building activities and material assistance vital to the comfort, recovery and health care of service members and veterans. Continuum of Care The American Red Cross is there every step of the way for service members and their families, fulfilling services along a Continuum of Care.
After more than 130 years of providing comfort and support to members of the U.S. military, the Red Cross continues to enhance our existing programs and establish new services to meet the needs of today’s service members, veterans and their families.
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While this infographic demonstrates the vast reach and strength of the Red Cross, it only tells part of the story. It is the long-term impact that is the most meaningful. These results are evidenced, in part, through research conducted by the Red Cross, which reveals that 90 percent of surveyed families reported reduced family stress,1 and 96 percent reported dealing with crises more effectively as a result of receiving Red Cross SAF assistance.2
A History of Partnership Total Quality Logistics has a long history of supporting military and veteran’s initiatives. The signed Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve speaks volumes about TQL’s national effort to stand committed to current military employees, as do the numerous awards recognizing TQL as a military friendly employer. Since 2012, the American Red Cross and Total Quality Logistics have had a partnership. Recently, TQL’s Vice President of Human Resources and American Red Cross board member, Ralph Lee, has been instrumental in facilitating this collaborative relationship.
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American Red Cross Customers and Partners Survey System, 2011 American Red Cross Customers and Partners Survey System, 2014
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In November and December of this year, the American Red Cross was excited to garner support from TQL during the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. Now in its ninth consecutive year, Holiday Mail for Heroes allows Americans to express their warm greetings of thanks and holiday cheer to members of our Armed Forces. TQL set up three stations on-site and one at a staff party where employees were encouraged to write holiday cards thanking men and women for their service. This resulted in approximately 700 holiday greetings. After the mail campaign, a team of volunteer staff members from TQL helped sort the cards that will be distributed by the American Red Cross to our military partners through the Service to the Armed Forces program. The Red Cross gratefully acknowledges TQL’s enthusiastic support.
Today’s Challenge The American Red Cross supports and assists current and former military members and their families through a variety of programs and services. The Red Cross is the only organization with this unique responsibility and the global capacity to support the military’s mission – be it combat, humanitarian, peacekeeping or peacemaking. Wherever duty calls an American service member, the Red Cross is ready to assist.
“I’ve been a lot of places around the world…the Red Cross is always there. What always amazes me is that no matter where we are in the world, the Red Cross can get us a message.” – Mark Guillemette, 21st Combat Support Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas Since the inception, the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign has received more than three million holiday cards from generous Americans in every state. This year alone, the successful campaign is expected to receive and distribute one million holiday cards. Previously, the campaign was financially supported by the Red Cross National Headquarters. Unfortunately, the program became cost prohibitive requiring local chapters to collect, sort, and distribute the holiday greeting cards. It also means that local chapters absorb the cost of the campaign. Some chapters made the choice not to participate in the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign this year because of the financial resources that the program requires to execute.
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The Need On behalf of the staff of the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces, we respectfully request a charitable contribution from Total Quality Logistics for our Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign.
$10,000 Key Benefits
Company logo and positioning on the back of holiday material from the 27-county region Five specific Facebook posts and five tweets recognizing Holiday Mail for Heroes partnership Recognition of support in Annual Meeting program Local Red Cross media release announcing members partnership in November Posting of partnership news release on redcross.org/Cincinnati Alignment with the Red Cross name and symbol in support of partnership for one year Listing of member name in quarterly Red Cross e-newsletter, distributed to community groups, schools and policy makers
OR
$7,500 Key Benefits
Company logo and positioning on the back of holiday material from the region Five specific Facebook posts and five tweets recognizing Holiday Mail for Heroes partnership Local Red Cross press release announcing members partnership in November Posting of partnership news release on redcross.org/Cincinnati
Companies and foundations joining the SAF Giving Program stand beside the Red Cross in caring for military heroes. In doing so, they join a group of our most valuable partners and receive the highest level of recognition through communication channels that reach military members and the general public. Please join us in thanking our military heroes during this season of giving with your commitment to fund this important program. Thank you for your consideration.
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