To the Editor:
In 2022, the American Red Cross responded to crises of all kinds, from a blood shortage at the beginning of the year to Hurricane Ian and thousands of smaller disasters. We have been, and will continue to be, there for people facing their darkest hours thanks to your efforts.

It’s hard to underestimate the power of hope that the Red Cross brings to our community.

Hope can be seen in the eyes of a father of three young boys fighting cancer who received lifesaving transfusions and gets to celebrate another Christmas with his family. Every two minutes someone needs blood, and we have collected more than 100,000 units of blood at drives throughout our region with the potential to save up to 300,000 lives.

Hope can be felt in the way we carry our founder Clara Barton’s vision from more than 100 years ago forward to support our brave men and women in the military, their families, and our veterans. With Operation Holiday Cheer, we sent more than 500 comfort kits to our deployed military overseas serving in Poland. Our Service to the Armed Forces volunteers worked with more than 2,400 military families in 2022.

Hope and healing are brought to those who have lost everything in the nearly 700 disasters we responded to in our region throughout the year. We provided clients with shelter, warm meals, and comfort knowing they are not alone.

We brought hope to our neighbors in the south and west, sending more than 80 members of our team to help people put together their lives after massive devastation from historic storms and wildfires. For many, the Red Cross offered a safe haven and a beacon of light when it was needed most.

And we prepared communities to be Red Cross Ready for when disasters strike through free community programs like Sound the Alarm where we installed more than 2,500 smoke alarms. Our team also trained over 42,000 people in critical life-saving skills like CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and AED [automated external defibrillation], giving hope and help to individuals when seconds count.

With more than 2,000 Red Cross volunteers strong, and our amazing community of partners and generous donors, we ensure the mission of the Red Cross brings hope and healing 24/7 to the Eastern New York region and beyond.

As crises continue to upend lives every day, join us to give help and hope for people in need by visiting redcross.org/eny to make a financial donation, schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets, or become a Red Cross volunteer.

Kevin Coffey 

Regional Chief Executive Officer 

American Red Cross 

Eastern New York Region