“’Tex’ never thought he’d be a disaster victim. But when a tornado tore his home apart this past spring leaving him badly injured, he was grateful to the Red Cross for providing safe shelter, hot meals, blankets and supplies for his family.
“As a former commanding officer in the United States Navy, I can’t count how many service members I stood with as I handed them an emergency message from home. Some were facing a breakdown in childcare while others were notified about a birth or the passing of someone they loved. The messages I delivered came from the American Red Cross.
“Already this year, 15 kids have drown in North Texas. That’s unimaginable so the Red Cross is doing everything we can to teach kids how to swim and teen-agers how to guard the water.
“From unspeakable tragedies to the uncertainties of military life, the Red Cross helps thousands of North Texas families every day. For each family, the service we provide is meaningful. And thanks to North Texas Giving Day, those services will #MeanMore because of the multiplied gift.
“Last year alone, we helped more than 1,400 North Texas families after they lost everything in home fires. That’s too many so we launched a campaign to purchase smoke alarms and install them in our most at-risk communities. Ordinarily, a donation of $30 purchases two smoke alarms, but on Giving Day, that gift will #MeanMore.
“We can #MeanMore to military members and their families on Giving Day as we gain additional resources to support our 24/7 emergency message service and conduct briefings at military bases around the area. Nearly 19,000 service members and their families in DFW had contact from the Red Cross last year.
“More kids can learn to swim, more lifeguards can be trained and more water safety classroom sessions can be provided because gifts #MeanMore when they’re multiplied.
“We’re honored to be a part of North Texas Giving Day and to see the power of the donated dollar at work. Throughout this campaign, we’ll be using our #MeanMore hashtag to share even more stories that highlight how gifts are used to help North Texans.
“We believe that we can all #DoMore when we join together on September 17, which in turn will #MeanMore to everyone who needs our help.
“Happy Giving Day!”
By T.D. Smyers, American Red Cross North Texas Region Chief Executive Officer
* Photos provided by American Red Cross