LETTER: Support the American Red Cross this season

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To the Editor:

The holiday season is a time for giving, and we don’t have to look far to find a cause worthy of our generosity. For me, there is something about promises of hot chocolate, snowy weather and family gatherings that evoke my Christmas spirit, and at the same time, magnify my awareness and sympathy for those who have to go without — not only these holiday treats, but much more.

As we all know, some of our neighbors and fellow Americans are finding themselves without shelter, food and basic living essentials this holiday season.

But organizations exist that work to help those in need. One is the American Red Cross. For over 100 years, the Red Cross has sought to relieve the suffering of the hurting and the helpless. So broad have been their efforts that it is easy to think of the Red Cross as a global conglomerate.

But the fact is that whether it is the victims of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast or a family down the street who is a victim of a house fire, the Red Cross is there to provide food, shelter, comfort and more to those in their darkest hour.

Most important to note, though, is that the Red Cross only exists because of the compassion and generosity of our donors and volunteers.

The Dakota Plains Chapter of the Red Cross serves Aurora, Brule, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson and Sanborn counties and we need your help. We seek to establish a disaster relief network that will meet the needs of any resident who is the victim of a disaster, and we know that the strength of that network depends completely on the strength of our community support. The support we seek is from anyone interested in volunteering, contributing financially or donating new supplies. At its heart, the mission of the Red Cross is neighbors looking after neighbors. To support this effort, during the holiday season and beyond, call 605-996-3087 or email the Dakota Plains executive director at summer.dejong@redcross.org. Your Red Cross chapter and those that we serve need you.

Summer DeJong Geraets is the executive director of the Dakota Plains Chapter of the American Red Cross in Mitchell.

Tags: opinion, letters