How to Contribute to the Red Cross

The American Red Cross helps communities in our country and across the globe every day. They are most visible in the aftermath of natural disasters. There are plenty of ways for individuals to contribute to the American Red Cross throughout the year.

• Receive training from the Red Cross. The Red Cross notes that many professions require individuals to master lifesaving skills such as CPR and rst aid. But millions of people are not required to learn such skills, even though they're useful for anyone. The Red Cross offers an array of courses, including lifeguarding, caregiving and babysitting, swimming and water safety, that train individuals about how to effectively prepare to respond to emergencies. Enrolling in these courses contributes to the mission of the Red Cross by building its potential base of quali ed volunteers who can pitch in when natural disasters or other emergencies occur.

• Donate blood. Blood donations are uniquely valuable to the Red Cross at any time, but the organization noted in early 2022 that it was experiencing its worst blood shortage in more than a decade. The Red Cross notes that the pandemic contributed to a 62 percent decline in college and high school blood drives. So while student donors made up roughly 25 percent of all donors in 2019, they now make up just 10 percent of the donor