KMC honors American Red Cross Month

“On every battlefield, a flag of mercy flies. Its white field bears a Red Cross — the universal symbol of human compassion. Under that flag, there are no enemies, no racial or religious animosities. There are only brothers,” said President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1968 Proclamation about the American Red Cross.

American presidents have always played a major role with the American Red Cross, but the most significant action was in 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared March 1943 the first National Red Cross Month.

After proclaiming March as National Red Cross Month, the Red Cross set a goal of $125 million in donations, the largest amount ever requested in one campaign by any American organization at that time. With an overwhelming response, the goal was met in a short six-week period.

Since then, the ARC has been setting the bar high and has been doing the unimaginable in some of the most devastating situations.

While maintaining the focus on preventing and reliving suffering of neutral humanitarian care and natural disasters, the ARC offer five other services worldwide: community services that help the needy, support and comfort for military members and their families, the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products, educational programs that promote health and safety, and international relief and development programs.

While there are more than 97 million volunteers helping in 186 countries, the KMC had a total of 357 volunteers who gave more than 40,925 hours to the community through various programs and projects.

“Here in the KMC, our mission is expanding by providing volunteer services through our offices at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Ramstein Air Base and Kleber Kaserne,” said Austin Young, American Red Cross assistant station manager at LRMC. “We are proud to be the place where everyday people can do extraordinary things, and we hope our entire community will continue to support us so we can continue our programs and community assistance.”

Though the volunteering numbers seem high, the Red Cross can always use extra help.

“I feel it’s important to volunteer because it’s an organization that helps every servicemember in one way or another, so it’s a good way to give back,” said Staff Sgt. Frank Dati, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron vehicle and vehicular equipment journeyman. “The ARC helps out with so many different tasks and they are always in need of volunteers.”

The Red Cross stations in the KMC provide many of the same services that you would find at home in local chapters.

In addition to volunteer services, the KMC Red Cross also provides emergency communications between servicemembers and their families, disaster assistance, CPR and first aid training, water safety and swim lessons, pet therapy and support in community events.

“When a military family experiences a crisis, the American Red Cross is there to help,” Ms. Young said. “Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, the Red Cross relays urgent messages containing accurate, factual, complete and verified descriptions of the emergency to servicemembers stationed anywhere in the world, including on ships at sea and in deployed locations.”

Red Cross emergency communications services also keep military personnel in touch with their families after the death or serious illness of an immediate family member, the birth of a servicemember’s child or grandchild or when a family faces other emergencies.

Spreading knowledge and teaching others how to provide aid in a bad situation is another big focus for the KMC’s Red Cross.

“The American Red Cross also works with the local installations to provide education and support through programs such as nurse assistant training, where students learn the basics of patient care such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal care. These students then become volunteers who give their time to the patients and families of our communities,” the assistant station manager said.

“It will be an opportunity for the community to come in and meet their Red Cross team as well as gain information about upcoming events, training and volunteer opportunities,” Ms. Young said.

Volunteering goes a long way, whether it is helping with a blood drive or aiding victims of a devastating natural disaster.

Since the creation of the American Red Cross in 1881, the distinguishable Red Cross flag continues to bring help to those who need it.