March is Red Cross Month, and the American Red Cross Eastern Pennsylvania Region asks people to be a hero for families across Eastern PA by becoming a volunteer, learning lifesaving skills, giving blood or donating to #help1family on Red Cross Giving Day, March 27.

“During Red Cross Month, we are proud to recognize our volunteers who provide hope and urgent relief to families in need every day,” said Guy Triano, CEO for the American Red Cross Eastern Pennsylvania Region. “These heroes are our neighbors who give blood, save lives with skills like first aid and CPR, or provide care and comfort to families devastated by crises like home fires. We honor our volunteers and ask you to join them and make a difference.”

Volunteers help

Every eight minutes in the U.S., the Red Cross connects with a family who has lost everything to a home fire or other disaster — the roof over their heads, their clothes, their most cherished possessions.

Last year, Red Cross volunteers helped millions of people reeling from a second consecutive year of record wildfires, hurricanes, tragic shootings and other large disasters across the country. More than 100 volunteer heroes from Eastern PA responded to deliver urgent relief and care in people’s darkest hours in North Carolina, Florida and California.

This winter, home fires continued to upend lives — when there’s often an increased risk of home heating and cooking fires. Just in the last six months, local volunteers assisted at more than 500 home fires affecting more than 3,000 people in Eastern Pennsylvania.

You can help

Learn more about how you can help by visiting redcross.org/easternpa.

Become a volunteer: Help families affected by disasters and install lifesaving smoke alarms to keep neighbors safe from home fires. In some areas, you can also provide emergency assistance for military members and veterans, or help reconnect families separated by international conflict.

Give blood: Make an appointment to donate lifesaving blood or platelets.

Learn lifesaving skills: Register for a class to learn first aid, CPR and other skills.

Make a financial donation: Wawa stores across Eastern PA will be collecting donations for the Red Cross throughout the month. And on March 27 — American Red Cross Giving Day — donate at redcross.org/givingday, uniting with thousands of people like you to help families during the first devastating hours of a disaster.