March is Red Cross Month and the American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties is committed to serving San Diego as the most trusted community service organization in education, preparation and response to natural disasters and human emergencies. With 90 percent of its humanitarian work carried out by volunteers, the Red Cross relies on the generosity of the public to perform its mission.

Here’s how you can participate and give back to your community with the Red Cross this month:

Donate blood to those in need. Approximately 36,000 units of red blood are needed every day in the U.S and the local Red Cross provides half of the blood available in San Diego. The need for blood donations is constant, especially during the winter months, when harsh weather can impact donor and blood drive availability.

• The Red Cross encourages you to get involved by donating blood or volunteering with Blood Services.
• College students can participate in the Cesar Chavez Blood Drive Challenge during March and April and enter to win a $1,000 scholarship.

Participate in fundraising events. The Red Cross relies on donations to provide shelter and meals during disasters, supply emergency services to members of the armed forces, deliver health and safety courses and so much more.

• Join the local Red Cross on Friday, March 16 at Valley View Casino Center as the San Diego Gulls take on the Milwaukee Admirals on Red Cross Night. Visit here to purchase tickets and support the Red Cross.
• Wednesday, March 28 is also Red Cross Giving Day, an opportunity for local communities to come together to help the families who have been impacted by a home fire or other disaster and who urgently need Red Cross services to get back on their feet.

Support military families. Through Service to the Armed Forces, the Red Cross helps members of the military, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with and respond to the challenges of military service.

• Service to the Armed Forces is currently looking to fill volunteer positions in client casework, military outreach and more. For a full list of open positions, please visit Volunteer Connection or contact Heather Hoffmann at heather.hoffmann@redcross.org

Prepare for an emergency. Locally, the Red Cross responds to an emergency nearly every 24 hours. Most of those emergencies are home fires, but the Red Cross is prepared to respond to any disaster of any size, thanks to our volunteers and donors.

• As part of the Prepare San Diego resiliency initiative, the Red Cross invites you to attend the 4^th Annual Disaster Preparedness Academy on Friday, March 23 in partnership with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce to gain valuable education, tools and resources from industry experts who will help you prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters big and small.

Volunteer with women, children and infants. The American Red Cross Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program helps pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding individuals and children up to age 5 eat well and stay healthy through a variety of services.

• WIC is looking to fill four volunteer positions to help with the ACHIEVE children’s activity. Volunteers will help co-lead the nutrition and physical activities every Tuesday from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. for a 1-year commitment and should have experience working with children ages 5 and under. If you are interested in this opportunity, please reach out to Heather Hoffmann at heather.hoffmann@redcross.org

Learn more about the American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties.  To stay informed about all the ways you can make a difference with the Red Cross, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.