Orlando, FL…The thoughts and deepest sympathies of the entire American Red Cross family are with the people of Orlando and those affected by Sunday morning’s tragic shooting. Local Red Cross volunteers are supporting emergency responders by providing snacks and water, and the Red Cross is coordinating closely with local officials to determine how we can best support the affected community over the coming days and weeks.

While we do not typically serve hospitals in the Orlando area, the Red Cross is providing a small number of blood products to support Florida hospitals in response to the shooting, and we stand ready to provide additional blood and blood products as needed.

How To Help

Volunteer blood donors are needed each and every day to help save lives. In fact, right now, blood and platelet donations are being distributed to hospitals as quickly as donations come in. Today’s tragedy illustrates that it’s the blood already on the shelves that helps during an emergency.

We know that many people want to help. Eligible individuals can make an appointment to give blood in the coming weeks and months by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting www.redcrossblood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS. The Red Cross is grateful for all donors who generously give blood throughout the country.

Right now, the Red Cross has what it needs to respond to this devastating incident. While the Red Cross is not accepting financial donations designated specifically for this event, we always need the public to help support our work. The Red Cross responds to nearly 66,000 disasters each year, and donations for Red Cross Disaster Relief are used to help people and communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters big and small.

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, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.