Red Cross response in 2021: Families face emergency needs

In 2021, people in our area and across the country faced great emergency needs as the ongoing pandemic exacerbated the challenges related to severe disasters, blood shortages and global conflict.

On Giving Tuesday and during the holidays, visit redcross.org to make a financial donation or an appointment to give blood or platelets.

RELENTLESS DISASTERS COMPOUND COVID-19 STRUGGLES- 2021 marked one of the country’s most active years for severe weather — which battered many communities still reeling from last year’s disasters. For thousands of people in need, the Red Cross launched a new major relief effort every 11 days to provide refuge, food and care.

This year, a family displaced by a disaster in the U.S. spent an average of nearly 30 days in a Red Cross-supported emergency shelter. These extended stays were largely due to a lack of savings and community housing shortages — signs that climatedriven disasters are compounding the financial hardships of the pandemic.

You can review the work carried out by the volunteers and staff in the Central & Southern Ohio region in 2021—work that was made possible through the generous donations of individuals and corporations. https://www. redcross.org/local/ohio/centraland-southern-ohio/ways-todonate/year-end-giving-2021. html

COVID-19 STRAINS BLOOD SUPPLY FOR PATIENTS- To meet the increasing needs of hospital patients, the Red Cross distributed 250,000 more blood products in 2021 than last year, until the delta variant began to spread in August. The pandemic also resulted in fewer blood drives at schools and colleges, contributing to a 34% drop in new blood donors from last year — one of the largest year-to-year decreases and one that could threaten essential medical care for patients. Locally, the Central & Southern Ohio Red Cross Region has experienced a nearly 30% decrease in new blood donors this year.