American Red Cross has responded to a year of crises

2022 has been a year of crisis — both seen and unseen — for families and communities.
The big crises the American Red Cross has responded to include flooding, tornadoes and daily home fires locally and we’ve sent disaster responders across the U.S. to help with the extreme disasters such as Hurricane Ian in Florida, Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, Tropical Storm Merbok in Alaska, severe floods in Kentucky, wildfires in California and the first-ever national American Red Cross blood crisis in January 2022.
There were personal crises too — unseen to many beyond those experiencing them: the family whose home was destroyed by fire, the person who needed CPR during a cardiac arrest, the family who needed to contact a deployed service member during an emergency, and the hospital patient who needed a lifesaving blood transfusion.
For all these crises and more, people throughout the Missouri and Arkansas Region stepped up to help from coast to coast. Our volunteers — who comprise more than 90% of the national Red Cross workforce — along with our financial, blood and platelet donors are simply amazing. Although they are ordinary individuals like you and me, their compassionate gifts make an extraordinary difference in people’s most dire moments.
As crises continue to upend lives every day, we ask everyone to consider giving help and hope for the many people in need of American Red Cross assistance by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation, to schedule an appointment to give blood or to become a Red Cross volunteer.
On behalf of everyone we serve, we thank you for your support in 2022!
Amanda Smith, Executive Director
Red Cross of Southeast Missouri