Proclaiming March, 2009 as American Red Cross Month in the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by dedicated volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies; and

WHEREAS, Compassion, courage, character, civic duty - are inherent in the Red Cross mission to prevent and relieve human suffering, and the City of Philadelphia shares these grand ideals; and

WHEREAS, The Red Cross, is chartered and authorized by Congress to act in times of need, providing compassionate assistance to people afflicted by personal, local or national disasters; and

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter is the leading volunteer agency meeting the needs of thousands of individuals and families throughout the greater Philadelphia region affected by 858 disasters last year, 652 in Philadelphia alone; and

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter provides a worldwide emergency communication link and other casework services to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families in the greater Philadelphia region, 24 hours a day, every day of the year – a total of 2,643 times last year; and

WHEREAS, In the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, the American Red Cross trained and certified 108,843 people in vital, lifesaving skills including CPR, AED, first aid, water safety and HIV/AIDS prevention, as well as disaster preparedness skills; and

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross has been the leader in assistance for victims of national disasters including Hurricanes Gustav and Ike last year, as well as international relief operations in such instances as the China earthquakes, Georgia conflict and African health initiatives; and

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter knows that blood is truly the gift of life and provides hospitals in the greater Philadelphia region with thousands of units of blood and blood products or sends them throughout the country, whenever and wherever they are needed; and

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter fulfilled its commitment to spotlighting National Preparedness Month by providing emergency preparedness outreach and education programs free of charge to millions of Southeastern Pennsylvania residents and businesses, including 14 Preparedness Summits throughout the region and a Preparedness Guide in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News; and

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter manages the Southeastern Pennsylvania Volunteer Organization Active in Disaster (VOAD) which has doubled in size to include 268 agencies, all trained to respond in the event of a large-scale regional disaster; and

WHEREAS, The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter operated 15 Red Cross Clubs in the region, and trained 33,512 youth in Red Cross Trainings including HIV prevention, Disaster Preparedness, First Aid and CPR, and International Humanitarian Law, SEPA youth programs reached over 80,000 children last year to strengthen service learning, citizenship, and leadership skills.

THEREFORE, In special recognition of the humanitarian efforts of the American Red Cross, its staff and volunteers, we the members of the City Council of Philadelphia, do hereby proclaim March 2009 as RED CROSS MONTH in Philadelphia.

I encourage all citizens to recognize and support the invaluable contributions of the American Red Cross.

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