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World Red Cross Day: The Power of Connection

On May 8th let’s make our local connections have a global impact.

On May 8th, we celebrate the people who make up Red Cross – over 14 million staff and active volunteers around the world who connect with over 160 million people each year. 

Every one of those people is a part of something bigger, a global movement to alleviate suffering and provide comfort and support when times are tough. Right now, 159 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it’s Aussie volunteers calling people in quarantine to check on their wellbeing, Italian volunteers driving sick people to hospital or international aid workers supporting efforts to contain the pandemic in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh, volunteers all across the world are making sure the most vulnerable in our communities are supported.

World Red Cross Day is held annually around the globe on May 8th, the day that Red Cross Red Crescent founder Henry Dunant was born. This year, we honour and celebrate Henry’s legacy through the power of connection.

In a time where we are socially distanced from each other, connection has never been more important. We all have a part to play. Reach out to someone dealing with hardship or major loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, introduce yourself to your neighbours, and give blood, if you can. Our friends at Red Cross Lifeblood have taken necessary steps to ensure donor centres are safe at this time.

I helped out delivering food parcels to people who were vulnerable and/or in self-isolation. At times I was the only person they had spoken to for several days. It was so nice to be able to contribute. Some people called me afterward to let me know how excited they were when they unpacked their boxes.

Andrea, Australian Red Cross volunteer

Together, we can all be part of the incredible movement Henry started and continue his work. We encourage everyone to join in by sharing their own stories and the actions they’re taking, using the hashtags #WorldRedCrossDay and #PowerOfConnection.

Double your impact

By donating to our COVID-19 response work, you can help Red Cross support and connect with the people who are most vulnerable in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to the support of QBE, your donation can go twice as far. Up to $100,000 raised will be matched by QBE.