By Alana Mauger

This Veterans Day, the American Red Cross is celebrating veterans and the sacrifices they’ve made. Their service to this country inspires over 4,300 Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) employees and volunteers across the country to provide a continuum of care to service members, veterans, their caregivers and their families.

Through every phase of duty, service members and their families face a unique, sometimes daunting set of challenges – like reaching a loved one on a military vessel at sea or supporting a veteran living with depression. Last year in Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Red Cross provided 2,528 services for service members and their families.

Through the Hero Care Network, the Red Cross connects service members, veterans and their families to free and confidential assistance any day, anytime. This includes facilitating emergency communication messages, facilitating financial assistance, critical community services and more.

By focusing on the whole health of service members, the Red Cross ensures that they receive the care and support they need to thrive both during and after their service. The Red Cross supports whole health by providing a range of services that address the physical, mental, and emotional needs of service members, veterans and their families. This includes behavioral health workshops, hospital visits, and caregiver-peer support programs.

From the first day of enlistment, service members and their families are eligible for Red Cross assistance, including:

• Emergency Communications – The Red Cross Hero Care Center is available 24/7 to deliver verified messages across the world when there is an emergency at home.
• Deployment Services – The Red Cross offers a variety of workshops, tools and support services to help service members and their families deal with practical and emotional challenges. 
• Services for Veterans – Red Cross volunteers serve in Veterans Administration (VA) and military hospitals to provide comfort, build morale, encourage volunteerism, and assist with benefits information and appeals. 
• Information Referral – Through our network of about 250 local chapters, the Red Cross provides confidential services and connections with local, state, and national resources across the nation and on 35 military installations worldwide. 
• Hero Care App – The free Hero Care App helps users identify and access both emergency and non-emergency Red Cross services from anywhere in the world. The app can be downloaded from our website, by visiting any app store, or by texting GETHEROCARE to 90999.

To access Red Cross services or to get involved as a volunteer, visit redcross.org/saf or download the Red Cross Hero Care app.