Letter: Red Cross honors volunteers

To the Editor,
The American Red Cross, Heart of Tennessee Chapter & Tennessee Valley Blood Services Region are celebrating its volunteers and the work they do in the community during National Volunteer Week, April 6 - 12.
Last year, our volunteers provided food, shelter, comfort and hope to 146 local families who faced home fires and other disaster situations. They trained 3,894 people in lifesaving skills and assisted 296 military members, veterans and their families.
On average, the Red Cross must collect about 15,000 pints of blood every day from volunteer blood donors across the United States to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,700 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.
We want to invite the public to sign up to volunteer and be a part of our lifesaving work. We’re looking for diverse volunteers of all ages and skill levels. Go to redcross.org/heartoftn to learn more about volunteering with us and how to submit a volunteer application. To schedule an appointment to donate blood, please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
If you want to volunteer to help when a disaster strikes our community, download the Team Red Cross app. You’ll receive notifications when Red Cross volunteers are needed in the area. The app can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps.
We want to extend our sincerest thanks to the 4,462 local Red Cross volunteers who help us fulfill our mission 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

Mike Cowles
Chapter Executive
Heart of Tennessee Chapter

Tim Ryerson
CEO
Tennessee Valley Blood Services