Red Cross: Community responders provide lifeline amid 2025 emergencies

WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 17, 2025 - As disasters surged across the U.S. in 2025, community responders became a lifeline for thousands needing shelter, food and emotional support.

In a powerful display of humanity, volunteers - who make up 90% of the American Red Cross workforce - joined forces with community partners to care for families overwhelmed by the most destructive winter wildfires in California, devastating flooding in Alaska, increased tornadoes across the Midwest, and severe storms and flash floods nationwide. Thanks to donor support, the Red Cross also put over $130 million directly into the hands of tens of thousands of households, helping families rebuild their lives after this year's disasters and last year's hurricanes Helene and Milton.

This financial assistance also extended to people recovering from home fires - which spike nearly 20% during the holidays, when cooking and heating fire risks are higher. In a typical November and December, some 40,000 people nationwide rely on the Red Cross after home fires, accounting for 1 in 5 home fire survivors helped year-round.

"Emergencies don't take a holiday - and neither does the Red Cross. Every day, with the support of generous donors, our volunteers bring comfort, hope and lifesaving help to people facing their hardest moments," said Trevor Riggen, president of Red Cross Humanitarian Services. "This season reminds us what truly matters: caring for one another. Whether it's responding to disasters, providing blood for patients, supporting military families or teaching lifesaving skills, these everyday heroes step up to help strangers in need. Together, we show the power of compassion and community - and that's the greatest gift of all."

This Giving Tuesday and holiday season, visit redcross.org to make a financial donation or schedule a blood donation. You can also volunteer to give the gift of time.

Watch this videoto hear from some of the families we helped in 2025.

More from 2025: How People Helped Hospital Patients, Military Families and Global Communities

• Saved the lives of patients relying on donated blood for survival. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood - from trauma patients and moms welcoming newborns to individuals battling cancer and sickle cell disease. Over the past year, nearly 500,000 first-time blood donors transformed lives by joining our dedicated national blood donor community, proving that extraordinary impact can come from an ordinary act of generosity.
• Provided a touch of home for deployed service members on over 380 U.S. military installation and deployment sites worldwide. Volunteers who deliver Red Cross morale and respite programs are often active-duty members looking to build community away from home, along with Red Cross staff who deploy overseas for months and, in some cases, years. Deployed staff are also a critical link to connect service members with their loved ones during family crises through the 24/7 Red Cross Hero Care Network.
• Expanded training programs to empower more people with lifesaving skills, such as CPR, first aid and water safety. This included growing our free Longfellow's WHALE Tales water safety program for Spanish-speaking families and launching revitalized national Babysitter's Training and new Neonatal Advanced Life Support courses. Access to lifesaving training helps make communities safer - in 2025, over 260 people received a National Lifesaving Award for helping to save over 150 lives with Red Cross skills.
• Helped local families prepare for and recover from major disasters and crises in over 35 countries. As part of the world's largest humanitarian network, the American Red Cross supports international responses when global Red Cross and Red Crescent teams request its help, such as after Hurricane Melissa this fall and the earthquake in Myanmar earlier this year. All told, the American Red Cross supported response efforts in 23 countries by providing over $16 million in aid and 13 disaster specialists this year. In addition, the American Red Cross helped global Red Cross teams prepare communities for extreme disasters in 14 countries, including Guatemala, Indonesia and Palau.