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Red Cross launches 24-hour ‘Giving Day’ to raise money for disaster relief

Posted at 11:25 PM, Apr 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-19 23:30:13-04

NORFOLK, Va. –  The Virginia Region of the American Red Cross is holding its 2016 Giving Day and wants you to #help1family recover from emergencies and disasters.

The one-day event’s mission is to bring the Commonwealth together to support the Red Cross as it pushes for its lifesaving mission to help families who have been affected by disasters or emergencies.

“Imagine if every American helped just one family in the U.S.,” said Red Cross President and CEO Gail J. McGovern. “Think of how much good we could do – together – on Giving Day.”

Every year the Red Cross responds to nearly 66,000 disasters nationwide.  The majority of these emergencies  are home fires, where families have lost everything including the roof over their heads, their clothes and their most cherished possessions.

In  2015, the Virginia Region assisted 1,570 families ,10,695 military families, and trained 108,695 people in lifesaving skills.

“Our mission is to help those in need in Virginia, but we certainly wouldn’t be able to fulfill our mission without the generous support of the community,” said Reggie Gordon, CEO for the American Red Cross Virginia Region. “By participating in our Giving Day, your help allows us to provide vital assistance to people impacted by fires and other disasters.”

It only takes $88.50* to support a family of three with basic needs for one day following a disaster that affects a community. A gift to the one-day awareness effort can provide immediate relief like a day’s worth of food, blankets and necessary items.

Giving Day’s #help1family effort can help a family begin to recover from a disaster by:

•Supporting a family in urgent need by providing them with a day’s worth of food and other essentials.
•Delivering blankets to ensure families stay warm and can get a good night’s sleep.
•Providing clean-up kits after a disaster including vital items like mops, buckets and disinfectant.

To donate and #help1family click here.