WeHo recognizes March Red Cross Month

The City of West Hollywood recognizes the month of March as Red Cross Month to honor and celebrate the American Red Cross and its commitment to providing humanitarian relief for people around the world. The City’s recognition of March as Red Cross Month includes lighting West Hollywood City Hall in red from Tuesday, March 8, 2022 through Tuesday, March 15, 2022.

“In 2021, the American Red Cross celebrated 140 years of compassionate service and reaffirmed its dedication to helping people in need throughout the United States and, in association with other Red Cross networks, throughout the world,” said City of West Hollywood Councilmember John M. Erickson. “Recognizing March as Red Cross Month provides an amazing opportunity for the City of West Hollywood to take part in raising awareness about this important work and to honor and celebrate the Red Cross employees, volunteers, donors, and partners who have committed their lives to making a difference in their neighborhoods and communities across the world.”

The City of West Hollywood encourages community members to participate in Red Cross Month by volunteering; by giving blood; by learning lifesaving skills; by participating in the historic ADVANCE Study, which could lead to significant change to blood donor eligibility for men who have sex with men; and by participating in first aid or CPR training to help in case of an emergency.

The American Red Cross focuses on providing humanitarian relief and compassionate care in five critical areas:

1. People affected by disasters in America;
2. Support for members of the military and their families;
3. Blood collection, processing, and distribution;
4. Health and safety education and training; and
5. International relief and development.

The Red Cross provides about 40 percent of the nation’s blood and blood components, all from volunteer donors. There is currently a national blood shortage, and blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a nearly 10-percent decline in the number of people donating blood, as well as ongoing blood drive cancellations and staffing limitations. Additionally, the pandemic has contributed to a 62-percent drop in blood drives in schools and colleges.

Additionally, as the world’s attention turns to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine, The International Committee of the Red Cross — together with its partners in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement — are active in Ukraine, saving and protecting the lives of victims of armed conflict and violence. The City’s WeHo Responds program has been activated to help facilitate contributions from local residents, businesses, and others to organizations that are making a difference in Ukraine. Details about the International Committee of the Red Cross are included in a directory of nonprofit humanitarian organizations listed on the City’s website at www.weho.org/wehoresponds.

About Red Cross — In 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (I.C.R.C.) was founded by Henry Dunant in Geneva, Switzerland and called for improved care for wounded soldiers in wartime. Sometime later, in 1881, Clara Barton and several of her acquaintances founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. after learning about the Swiss-inspired global Red Cross network. Barton led the Red Cross for 23 years with the purpose of providing relief to members of the American armed forces and their families, as well as national and international disaster relief and mitigation. From 1914 to 1918, the number of local chapters grew from 107 to 3,864, while membership increased exponentially from 17,000 to over 20 million adult and 11 million junior Red Cross members. Today, the American Red Cross continues to attract millions of volunteers and supporters dedicated to helping people who have been affected by war and crises. For additional information, please visit www.redcross.org.