American Red Cross

Armando Valder and his wife, Melissa, escaped their home moments before Hurricane Beryl sent a tree crashing down on it. The couple has lived in Crosby, Texas, for years and has never experienced a disaster as destructive as Beryl. “We’ve been here 18 years, and none of the other storms have been like this,” Armando said. They live in a mobile home with their parents and two dogs and feel extremely grateful to be alive. The storm not only destroyed their home but also left the entire community without power for weeks. Thanks to the help of financial donors across the country, the Valder family received financial assistance to buy what they needed to start rebuilding their lives. Every day, people’s lives are upended by unexpected disasters. Your support helps us give them hope, relief, and comfort during their darkest moments. Help us respond now and in the future to disasters like hurricanes, floods, and home fires by making a donation: https://rdcrss.org/4fIi1NT

"I knew the Red Cross was where I wanted to be. I wanted to pass along that light that was given to us." One of the last times Veronica Mora talked to her husband, Arthur, was through an emergency message. “I was in my third trimester, and my husband, who was a service member, was going to be deployed,” Veronica said. It was 2005, and Arthur was going to Iraq. Veronica knew she could count on the Red Cross to reach him in an emergency. “Oct. 11 comes, and our son is born,” Veronica said. “I remembered right away that we had to call the Red Cross. It was seamless.” Veronica was amazed at how fast the Red Cross connected her with Arthur. “Our son was born at 7:16 a.m. and by about 10 a.m., Arthur was on the phone with us in the hospital,” Veronica said. Tragically, just eight days after their son’s birth, Arthur was killed in the line of duty. “One of our last communications was that Red Cross message,” Veronica said. “That whole part of my life was a whirlwind in the worst way possible, but I never forgot how the Red Cross connected me to him." Veronica knew she wanted to work for the Red Cross after everything they did for her and her family. Today, she supports volunteer engagement at the American Red Cross Central and Southern Ohio region. Beyond the scope of her role, Veronica remains dedicated to supporting the military and our veterans. She is part of several Team Member Resource Groups, including Veterans Plus and VIDA, our Latino resource group. “I'm very proud to be Latina, and I'm very proud of my husband’s service,” Veronica said. “I have such respect for the military and veterans, and I see it as another connection I have to Art.” During the summer of 2021, just six months into her Red Cross career, Veronica stepped up to help Afghan refugees with her colleagues alongside other partner organizations. “The base I was deployed to was where my husband went to train,” she said. “It was a very poetic moment.” Veronica will never forget the impact of those Red Cross emergency communication messages and how they shaped her future. “I’m one of the biggest supporters of the mission because I got to live it,” Veronica said. “Those messages meant so much to my family.” It means so much to us to have such a compassionate and driven individual supporting our lifesaving work. We deeply appreciate Veronica for sharing her story. ??

Finsen Yu and his family are transforming lives through their community garden in Montgomery, Alabama. Their foundation, named Help a Brother Out, provides residents access to free, fresh foods and a place to learn about self-sufficiency and self-growth. Aside from getting produce, people can also take classes in gardening, meditation and financial literacy. “We try to help the community help itself by instilling values and developing future leaders,” Finsen said. Finsen and his family recently received support from the Red Cross through its Community Adaptation Program to help the foundation expand its efforts and be more resilient against the climate crisis. With the provided funding, they purchased a new greenhouse, storage shed, four-wheeler, and other equipment to broaden the garden’s reach. Through this partnership, the Yu family's foundation can help more families access nutritious food and continue serving the community in the face of disasters. “The community knows that we’re here and that the Red Cross is behind us,” Finsen said. “Knowing that, they come to us because they know the Red Cross can help.”

Nearly five million people receive lifesaving training from the Red Cross every year. Young humanitarians like these keep that trend going strong. Youth volunteers are learning essential skills like Hands-Only CPR and sharing that knowledge with their peers and neighbors. This is just one of the many ways our nation's youth are making a difference through our mission. As we celebrate Youth Involvement Month, take a look at some of their work across the country: - Students learned Hands-Only CPR and made their own emergency kits thanks to training from the American Red Cross of Central & South Texas. - Seven Red Cross Clubs in the American Red Cross Central California Region held a preparedness camp teaching their peers Hands-Only CPR, how to make an evacuation plan, and other lifesaving skills. - Students at the University School of the Lowcountry learn CPR and how to use an AED every year through the American Red Cross of South Carolina. - Nearly 350 eighth graders learned CPR and how to use an AED, thanks to the training services team at the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. _ The BYU Red Cross Club offered Hands-Only CPR training to their community through the American Red Cross of Utah.

Erin Huey knew she wanted to continue a life of service when she retired from the military, so she started a career as an EMT and Red Cross first aid and CPR instructor. Those decisions are what helped her save her brother's life. Erin's brother, John, wanted to get back into shape after retiring from the Los Angeles Police Department. The pair decided they would work out together with a personal trainer. After an early morning session, John was sitting down on a bench when their trainer, Rebekka Armstrong, noticed something was wrong. He suddenly stopped talking and became unresponsive. Rebekka immediately called 911 while Erin began CPR. She performed lifesaving care until paramedics arrived. “Many people might freeze or panic in a situation like this," Erin said. "But my Red Cross training helped me deal with it all.” John was taken to the hospital where he underwent stent surgery and eventually made a full recovery. His doctors said that if it wasn't for the quick actions of his sister, he would not have survived. Erin and Rebekka both received Red Cross Lifesaving Awards from the American Red Cross Central California Region for their heroic efforts. We're grateful for their knowledge and teamwork that made a difference when moments mattered.??

Training and a first aid kit are two things Katie Hadlock always has with her. Thanks to this preparedness, she saved a stranger's life. "I was the rock," Katie said. "I was the one with the training and knew I needed to be in charge because if I didn't, no one else could." Katie, who is a certified lifeguard, was driving with her family when she came across a car accident. Someone flagged them down after a car rolled over into the opposite lane. "My training kicked into action and I told my mom to call 911," Katie said. "I have my lifeguard pack with first aid items in my backpack at all times and that was with me on this occasion." Katie ran over with her brother, Christopher, to help the injured driver. "The windows were completely shattered and the driver had been whiplashed back," Katie said. She noticed the driver was starting to lose consciousness and possibly suffering from a spinal injury. Katie instructed her brother on how to help safely get him out of the car so she could perform care until help arrived. Katie's lifeguard training, quick thinking and leadership saved the driver's life. She was honored with a Youth Hero Award by the American Red Cross Southern California Region for her lifesaving efforts that day. We are grateful for brave young people like Katie who make the world a safer place every day!

About a month after graduating high school, Brian Boyle was involved in a near-fatal car accident. His injuries were severe — he spent two months in a coma on life support, underwent 14 major operations, and received 36 blood transfusions and 13 plasma treatments. During rehab, he considered all the people who helped him through his recovery, from the first responders and the doctors to the many people who donated the blood that he received. “I made a promise that I would one day become a Red Cross volunteer and blood donor as my way of showing gratitude,” Brian said. Three years later, he crossed the finish line of the Hawaii Ironman triathlon and contacted his local Red Cross in Maryland. He became a proud volunteer who often shared his story as a blood recipient. On a different but parallel path, Brett Crystal was several years into his journey as a dedicated blood and platelet donor. He’s currently up to 376 donations. Brett turned that dedication into a full-time job with the American Red Cross in Tennessee in 2013. It was around that time that Brian’s and Brett’s paths crossed. Brian learned of Brett’s passion for donating blood through social media. He would engage with and comment on Brett’s posts, and similarly, Brett would comment on Brian’s content. Whenever Brian created a virtual blood drive for one of his marathons or endurance events, Brett would be one of the first to sign up and donate blood. Brian joined the Red Cross as an employee in 2017, and today, both he and Brett work in social media management. Brian moderates the American Red Cross Blood Donors Facebook page while Brett manages the American Red Cross Platelet Donors and Plasma Donors Facebook groups. Together, they answer questions, cheer on donors as they reach milestones, and encourage others to share their own stories of giving and receiving blood products. Through their individual journeys, they’ve had the opportunity to become great friends virtually. ?? This summer, Brian and Brett finally got to meet in person. “Brian agreed to donate platelets with me,” Brett said. “It was such an incredible experience to meet a personal hero and to donate together. Brian is so inspiring for many reasons, and I’m honored to call him a friend, a teammate and a fellow donor!” The admiration is mutual. “It’s amazing to see the impact [Brett] has with our dedicated donors,” Brian said. “I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside him each day, and most of all, to be able to call him a friend.”

Estamos juntos en esto. We’re in this together! When a disaster strikes, we deploy bilingual Red Cross volunteers, who are part of our Latino Engagement Team (LET), to connect with Spanish-speaking communities and provide them with emergency supplies and recovery resources. During Hurricane Milton, these volunteers visited Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods across Central Florida to advise residents about free Red Cross recovery resources and distribute warm meals and relief items. “Muchas gracias por venir a buscarnos. Se siente bien saber que vinieron a ayudarnos y que no nos olvidaron,” Gloria Lopez said. Gloria was grateful to see the Red Cross helping in her community and that they were not forgotten. She was home with her children when Milton ripped through Mulberry, Florida, leaving them without power for eight days. Since Hurricanes Helene and Milton made landfall, LETs have supported hundreds of Latinos across the Southeast by visiting affected neighborhoods, connecting with them in shelters and Multi-Agency Resource Centers, and joining local events hosted by community partners. These volunteers are critical to our mission as they help build trust and relationships in predominantly Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods, where language barriers often prevent families from visiting shelters and seeking help. Let’s give it up to our LET volunteers for being the recovery lifelines to Hispanic and Latino families in need. ??

The selfless work of these two Native American Red Crossers was pivotal in shaping how we deliver lifesaving care and training. Lula Owl Gloyne and William F. Tyndall both dedicated themselves to serving the unique health needs of their communities. Lula was a registered nurse who often traveled on difficult terrain to deliver babies and care for sick families. She also helped establish the first hospital for her tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. William supported and educated youth on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Three nights a week, he taught essential lifesaving skills as a Red Cross First Aid Instructor. We are grateful for the compassion, knowledge and insights of Native American humanitarians throughout our history. Their contributions to our mission deepen our efforts in reaching and supporting our Tribal communities.

We are honored to be recognized as a leader in online learning, thanks to the innovative work of our lifesaving training. @Newsweek ranked the American Red Cross among the 50 top online learning providers in the U.S. in 2024. We're proud of our American Red Cross Training Services teams' dedication to delivering high-quality, adaptive and accessible first aid and CPR training programs to help professionals and the public prepare for when moments matter. Read more: https://rdcrss.org/4fT9XtC.