May is National Water Safety Month!
Drowning is preventable, yet it remains one of the leading causes of death for young children and people under 30.
Drowning doesn’t usually look the way it does in movies. There’s often no splashing or yelling, and it can be silent and happen in less than a minute, even in just a few inches of water. In many cases, the people closest to the situation make the difference. More than 60% of rescues are performed by bystanders before help arrives, often by someone acting alone.
Staying alert and informed can help save a life. If you're looking for fun and interactive ways to talk to your kids about water safety, visit our website in the link in our bio.
This Military Appreciation Month, and on Armed Forces Day, we honor the service members and families who are part of our communities across the NC Region.
From deployments to everyday life at home, their dedication and commitment help keep our communities strong.
Prepared for the rare. Ready for the real.
Every two years, communities nationwide take part in critical nuclear emergency drills, preparing for incidents we hope never happen...but must be ready to face.
This year, the Charlotte Metro Area Disaster Team partnered with the Catawba Nuclear Station in a full-scale exercise, helping test what it takes to keep communities safe in a worst-case scenario.
If an incident like a radiation leak or other emergency scenario were to occur, a 10-mile safety zone would be established and surrounding communities evacuated. Our role in that moment? Making sure no one faces it alone.
During the exercise, our teams practiced how to:
🔹 Open and operate evacuation and reception centers
🔹 Support decontamination efforts for those leaving the zone
🔹 Provide safe, compassionate sheltering for displaced families
With sites activated in Lancaster and Chester, this drill strengthened the coordination, compassion, and readiness that define our response.
Preparedness isn’t just about plans; it’s about people. And when it matters most, we’ll be ready to help communities recover, together.❤️
During Military Appreciation Month, we recognize not only the service of our military community, but also the emotional strength it takes to navigate change, stress and transition.
As part of our ongoing resiliency workshop series, the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program is partnering with the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone, North Carolina to offer a session focused on emotional grit. This workshop is designed for service members, veterans and military families who want to better understand the many emotions that can surface during life’s challenges and learn practical ways to build resilience through them.
The Emotional Grit workshop will take place on May 20, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic, 3505 Village Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304. This session continues our monthly series focused on strengthening emotional wellness through practical, accessible tools.
Register and view upcoming sessions at the link in our bio.
DFD × American Red Cross 🔥⛑️
Durham Firefighters don’t just respond to emergencies — we work every day to prevent them 💪.
Did you know one of the core duties of Durham Firefighters is fire safety education and prevention?
Today, our members teamed up with the American Red Cross to canvass Station 4’s primary district — testing, inspecting, and replacing smoke alarms to help ensure Durham residents are protected long before an emergency ever happens.
Prepared communities are safer communities.
This is how we keep Durham safer, one home at a time.
#DurhamFireDepartment #BullCityBravest #FireSafety #AmericanRedCross
It started with one student who cared deeply about giving back.
Meet Hunter Howard, an HBCU student at Livingstone College who turned his passion for service into a growing blood drive community on campus and beyond.
Learn how leadership, relationships, and shared responsibility helped create lasting impact across North Carolina.
Learn more about Hunter and the impact he’s making at the link in our bio.
#HBCU #HBCUleaders
Recently, our Charlotte Metro Area Chapter partnered with Chester County, SC Emergency Management to conduct a Shelter Drill focused on strengthening readiness through teamwork and collaboration.
Special thanks to Steve Nason and Dara Rickles for their outstanding support, and to our fearless volunteer leader, Jerry Hanson, for guiding the effort.
Together, we’re preparing to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
When aspiring nursing student Makayla Boles, a senior at South Stokes High School, learned about the American Red Cross Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program, she stepped up to make a difference. By hosting a blood drive, Makayla helped ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients in need—while building skills she’ll carry into her future career in healthcare.
Her experience strengthened her compassion, leadership, and advocacy skills—and even earned her a surprise scholarship award.
Makayla’s message to others? “Do it because at the end of the day you’re helping somebody else.”
Read her story and learn how you can host a blood drive at the link in our bio.
Hace poco, voluntarios de Sandhills participaron en una feria de salud para la comunidad hispana en St. Pauls, Carolina del Norte, donde convivieron con miembros de la comunidad y compartieron información que salva vidas.
Lori, Ramón, Jarissa y Cindy dedicaron el día a compartir recursos de preparación para emergencias, ofrecer información sobre alarmas de humo y dar miniclases de RCP solo con las manos. Gracias a su labor, muchas familias adquirieron conocimientos y habilidades para estar más protegidas.
Agradecemos a nuestros voluntarios por su tiempo y dedicación, así como a nuestros socios por la oportunidad de conectar, educar y fortalecer juntos la resiliencia de la comunidad.
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Recently, volunteers from our Sandhills Chapter participated in a Hispanic Health Fair in St. Pauls, North Carolina, connecting with community members and sharing lifesaving information.
Lori, Ramon, Jarissa, and Cindy spent the day sharing emergency preparedness resources, providing smoke alarm safety information, and leading hands-only CPR mini classes—helping families build skills and knowledge to stay safe.
Thank you to our volunteers for their time and dedication, and to our community partners for the opportunity to connect, educate, and strengthen resilience together.
Recently, our Long-Term Recovery team visited @feedingaveryfamilies828 to see firsthand how Red Cross Hurricane Helene grant funding is making a lasting impact in Avery County.
Thanks to this support, FAF expanded its mobile food distribution with a new refrigerated box truck—now fully operational and serving rural communities heavily affected by Hurricane Helene. The truck has been a game changer, helping FAF safely deliver fresh food to neighbors who need it most.
During the visit, we toured FAF’s 10,000-square-foot Operations Center, where a bustling food warehouse transforms each week into a client-choice market—empowering families to select their own groceries while fostering dignity, conversation, and connection.
We also followed the mobile distribution to Pine Grove United Methodist Church, a long-standing community partner, where comprehensive food packages—including fresh produce, dairy, meat, and shelf-stable goods—were distributed to local families.
What stood out most was the heart of FAF’s work: dedicated volunteers, strong community partnerships, and a commitment that goes beyond food—supporting students, checking on client wellness, and strengthening recovery across Avery County.
As we move from Month of the Military Child in April into Military Appreciation Month in May, the American Red Cross was honored to celebrate both during the 6th Annual Military Kids Celebration at Camp Lejeune.
Military children show incredible resilience, adaptability, and strength—serving right alongside their families every step of the journey. Through our Service to the Armed Forces programs, the Red Cross is committed to supporting military families by building resilience, fostering connection, and recognizing the vital role they play in our communities.
This celebration highlighted the importance of caring for the whole military family—honoring our youngest heroes while continuing to stand with those who serve and sacrifice every day.
