Local Red Cross Volunteers Aid Families Strained by Disasters
In 2025, local volunteers became a lifeline for thousands of neighbors reeling from disasters across the 27-county Western New York region. In total, more than 2,100 active local Red Cross volunteers contributed more than 117,000 hours of service to the communities served in the region.
In a powerful display of community, hundreds of volunteers from across the Western New York region responded alongside partners to provide safe refuge, hot meals, emotional support, and basic health services for families devastated by disasters, including hundreds of home fires, tornadoes, flooding throughout the Southern Tier chapter, winter weather, and more. The Red Cross also distributed more than $700,000 in financial assistance directly to households recovering in 2025 from disasters of all sizes across the region.
The need for this support shows no sign of slowing down. In the U.S., Red Cross home fire responses spike by nearly 20% during the holidays, when families face increased fire risks from cooking and heating. In our region, more than 600 people rely on the Red Cross after home fires in a typical November and December.
“Disasters don’t take holidays — and neither do our volunteers,” said Nick Bond, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross of Western New York region. “Thanks to generous donations, they have the resources to deliver comfort, hope, and support to help people recover. Through these simple acts of giving, we come together as a community to bring light to a family’s darkest days — right when it’s needed most.”
Visit redcross.org to make a financial donation or to give back through volunteering. You can also make an appointment to give blood or platelets. The need for blood is constant — and just like disasters, medical emergencies don’t take holidays.
