LETTER TO THE EDITOR
As Thanksgiving and Holiday seasons are here again, family and friends gather to give thanks for their good fortune over the past year.
The Southern Maryland Chapter American Red Cross would like to give thanks to our volunteers who so generously give their time, energy and spirit and to our financial donors who enable us to effectively carry out our mission to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
Hundreds of volunteers and members of our community have given their energy, talent and generosity over the past year to help those in need. As a result, your Southern Maryland Chapter was able to provide disaster relief to over 200 family members, victims of flooding and house fires that have affected our area.
With donated time, we taught members of our community life-saving skills (over 40 people per day) such as CPR, first aid and the proper use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). We also taught your children how to swim, educated your neighbors about disaster preparedness and provided worldwide emergency communications for local military personnel and their families (nearly 600 messages this past year).
These vital services would not have been possible without the valuable contributions of our financial donors. Together, our volunteers and donors are the heart and soul of the American Red Cross. You turn America's caring and concern for the victims of disaster into immediate action.
Whether the disaster is a single-family fire or a highly-publicized hurricane, flood or act of terrorism, we thank our volunteers and donors who stand ready to provide vital relief services to our community. It is your continuous commitment to providing warmth and support to other members of our community for which we at the Southern Maryland Chapter are so thankful.
Have a safe and happy holiday season, and know that you, Red Cross employees, volunteers, financial and blood donors have truly made a positive difference in Southern Maryland this year.
Earl Buffaloe
Volunteer Chapter Chairman
Chesapeake Beach, Md.