An ongoing collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the American Red Cross, to help those impacted by disasters and serious medical conditions, will continue in 2023. The Church has announced a donation of $8.7 million to assist with the purchase of biomedical equipment, mobile blood donation centers and programs to assist those with cancer or sickle cell disease.
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“We are profoundly grateful for our long-standing and remarkable collaboration to deliver urgently needed relief for people facing life’s emergencies,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “The Church’s incredible financial support and the steadfast commitment of your members make a difference for people in need every day.”
Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stated, “We are pleased to contribute to the American Red Cross and support their life-sustaining services and programs in this new year to help care for those in need. We recognize and are grateful for the thousands of Church members who rolled up their sleeves to give blood and donate so much of their time.”
In 2022, the Church provided a donation of $5.1 million to the Red Cross that was used for individuals, families and communities with pressing needs across the U.S. Some of the efforts supported by Church aid included:
- Increased outreach to African American communities to fight sickle cell disease.
- Critical blood services for people battling cancer.
- Improved effectiveness and efficiency of blood collection operations in the face of fluctuations in the blood supply and the lingering challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blood Drives
In 2022, the Church remained the largest single Red Cross blood drive contributor. Latter-day Saints donated blood and blood products to help people facing surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, accidents and emergencies. More than 70,000 volunteer blood donors participated in over 2,000 drives nationwide through the first nine months of the year.
The Red Cross reports that cancer patients account for about 25% of the total use of blood and blood products in the U.S., more than patients fighting any other disease. The Church’s support helped the Red Cross collect 1,047,767 platelet donations in 2022. Progress is also being made in the organization’s efforts to provide 100% pathogen-reduced platelets.
The Red Cross estimates that about 100,000 people in the U.S., largely of African descent, have sickle cell disease. Patients living with sickle cell disease can require thousands of blood transfusions throughout their lifetime.
The Church also helped support blood donor recruitment efforts by engaging new donors, including nearly 21,000 African American donors, through September of last year.
In 2022, the Church funded the purchase and installation of biomedical equipment for the Red Cross, including 22 amicus separators, 10 platelet incubators, 12 blood centrifuges, three DNA sequencers, two DNA extractors and one flow cytometer.
Disaster Relief
The Church of Jesus Christ also participated in the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program in 2022. The Red Cross mounted more than 250 large-scale disaster operations across the country in 40 states and the District of Columbia through the end of September. The Church provided critical support for responses to wildfires across the West, flooding in Kentucky and Alaska, and destruction from hurricanes Fiona and Ian in the Southeast. The funding also helped support smaller disasters, such as home fires.
“The mission of the American Red Cross closely aligns with the efforts of the Church of Jesus Christ to serve those in need as the Savior would and to show our love for our neighbor,” said Blaine R. Maxfield, managing director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services Department. “This important donation supports critical blood services that directly help those suffering from sickle cell disease and cancer. We’re grateful for the love shown by members and friends of the Church who give so generously to help those in need.”