April 15, 2016 at 4:06 PM
RAMSEY, NJ – The American Red Cross is pleased to announce that Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc. has stepped forward as a $25,000 Community Supporter of Red Cross 2016 Giving Day.
Red Cross Giving Day is a one-day event on Thursday, April 21 designed to rally people in New Jersey and across the country to support the Red Cross as it meets its critical and lifesaving mission of helping families who have been affected by disaster or emergencies.
“This is our second year participating in Giving Day as Community Supporter and we hope to surpass our goal from last year,” said Kay Du Fernandez, vice president, marketing. “Konica Minolta employees generously give back both locally and nationally, serving together through companywide efforts. The outpouring of donations from our employees last year was remarkable.”
Additionally, Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc. is encouraging their employees to participate on April 21 and will match employee donations up to a total of $35,000 in Giving Day support.
“We are grateful for the generous support of Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc.,” said David Lewis, interim regional CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “Every day New Jersey families are impacted by home fires and other disasters. Konica Minolta’s contribution will help us continue to provide help and hope to our neighbors in need.”
Every year, the Red Cross responds to nearly 66,000 disasters nationwide – the vast majority of these are home fires – where a family has lost everything; the roof over their heads, their clothes, and their most cherished possessions. In New Jersey, the Red Cross responds annually to nearly 900 disasters, mostly home fires.
Giving Day’s #help1family effort can help a family begin to recover from a disaster by:
- Supporting a family in urgent need by providing them with a day’s worth of food and other essentials.
- Delivering blankets to ensure families stay warm and can get a good night’s sleep.
- Providing clean-up kits after a disaster including vital items like mops, buckets and disinfectant.
Donations can be made now by visiting redcross.org/givingday. A $10 donation to the Red Cross can be made by texting REDCROSS to 90999. All donations will be processed on April 21, 2016.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org.
About the American Red Cross in New Jersey
The American Red Cross provides programs and services to a population of 8.8 million in New Jersey. The Red Cross trains and mobilizes more than 5,800 volunteers who support the delivery of services throughout the state. In New Jersey, last year, the Red Cross responded to 889 local disasters, mostly home fires, helping 1,820 displaced families; collected 88,439 units of blood through blood drives and Red Cross Blood Donation Centers; provided 3,920 military family case services with emergency messages, helping families find assistance and/or get counseling and referrals; and trained 117,088 individuals with life-saving skills in preparedness, CPR, AED use, first aid and aquatics. For more information, please visit redcross.org/NJ and follow us on Twitter @NJRedCross.