‘Tis the season to give ‘the gift of life’

Van Wert independent/Red Cross information

In a season filled with giving, there’s a multitude of ways area residents can give back to their community through the American Red Cross.

“The gift you give today will be there for the patient needing blood, the family needing shelter, or the child who needs a hug and a blanket,” said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. “Your gifts of time, blood or money can help save the day down the street, across the country and around the world.”

As a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, the Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster and to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. As part of that mission, the Red Cross also provides about half of the nation’s blood supply through voluntary blood donations.

Volunteers are always needed, Red Cross officials say, to work in areas related to disaster relief, health and safety, and providing emergency communications to military members and their families. Volunteers are also needed to coordinate and sponsor blood drives, or simply roll up their sleeves and give blood or platelets. People can help, too, by sharing motivational stories about their experiences with the Red Cross — either through the organization’s web site, or by joining the conversation on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

“You’re needed in whatever ways you chose to give,” said Whitman. “Not a day goes by that we don’t hear from the people, families, and communities who benefit from your kindness.”

More details and a video on giving blood or platelets through the American Red Cross can be viewed at redcrossblood.org/perfectgift. For information on other ways people can give back to their community this holiday season and beyond, visit redcross.org/gifts or call 800 RED.CROSS.

Come to donate from December 1-Jan. 31 and be entered into a regionwide drawing for a $1,000 Visa gift card.

Upcoming Red Cross area blood drives:

• Thursday, December 22, from noon until 6 p.m., at the YWCA, 408 E. Main St. in Van Wert.
• Friday, December 30, from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m., at Van Wert County Hospital in the Van Wert Health Center, 140 Fox Road in Van Wert.