1Designating March 2014 as "American Red Cross Month" in
2Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American
4Association of the Red Cross; and

5WHEREAS, In 1900 the Congress of the United States granted
6the American Red Cross a charter, making the volunteer
7organization responsible for providing services to members of
8the armed forces of the United States and relief to disaster
9victims at home and abroad; and

10WHEREAS, Today's American Red Cross is a humanitarian
11organization led by volunteers that provides relief to victims
12of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond
13to emergencies; and

14WHEREAS, For more than a century, the American Red Cross has
15been at the forefront of helping Americans prevent, prepare for
16and respond to large and small disasters, and just as families

1and communities depend on the Red Cross in times of need, the
2Red Cross depends on the support of the American people to help
3sustain the foundation; and

4WHEREAS, The American Red Cross strives to prevent and
5alleviate human suffering wherever it is found, to protect life
6and health and to ensure respect for each human being; and

7WHEREAS, The American Red Cross does not discriminate as to
8nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political
9opinions; and

10WHEREAS, Services provided by the American Red Cross promote
11mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace
12among all peoples; and

13WHEREAS, As demonstrated by their response to Hurricane Irene
14and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the
1544 American Red Cross chapters in Pennsylvania meet the needs of
16hundreds of thousands of individuals and families throughout the
17State by: responding to hundreds of disasters, providing
18emergency communications to United States Armed Forces
19servicemen and servicewomen and their families, training
20thousands of people in providing disaster relief services and
21training and certifying thousands more people in vital,
22lifesaving skills including CPR, AED use, first aid, water
23safety and HIV/AIDS prevention; and

24WHEREAS, The American Red Cross sheltered more than 6,000,
25and fed more than 250,000, Pennsylvanians during Hurricane Irene
26and Tropical Storm Lee during August and September 2011. Red
27Cross relief efforts provided more than $3.4 million in
28assistance to State residents; and

29WHEREAS, In fiscal year 2013, 4,685 families were assisted
30financially Statewide, an increase of more than 1,300 persons

1from the previous year; and

2WHEREAS, As Superstorm Sandy bore down upon the East Coast in
3late October 2012, the Red Cross worked cooperatively with the
4Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to identify shelters,
5ready supplies and mobilize emergency response vehicles and
6relief workers; and

7WHEREAS, In the wake of Superstorm Sandy's high winds and
8torrential rainfall, the Red Cross opened 140 shelters,
9providing more than 3,000 overnight stays for Pennsylvanians
10displaced by the storm, served more than 18,000 meals and
11ministered to more than 5,000 Pennsylvanians with health
12concerns; and

13WHEREAS, More than 8,566 Pennsylvanians serve as volunteers
14for the American Red Cross and stand prepared to prevent and
15respond to disasters within our Commonwealth; and

16WHEREAS, Residents of Pennsylvania donated hundreds of
17thousands of units of blood to help save the lives of their
18neighbors in need; and

19WHEREAS, The American Red Cross will continue to play a
20valuable role in catastrophic relief, humanitarianism and
21volunteerism during the 21st century; therefore be it

22RESOLVED, That the Senate designate March 2014 as "American
23Red Cross Month" in Pennsylvania; and be it further

24RESOLVED, That the Senate commend the American Red Cross, all
25of its employees and all of its volunteers for their service and
26dedication to the communities and residents of this
27Commonwealth.