American Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern Addresses Rotary
Guest speaker Gail McGovern
Mark Beddingfield with RCB President Brenda Hackney.
This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed guest speaker Gail McGovern, CEO of the American Red Cross, for a virtual presentation. American Red Cross Alabama and Mississippi Region CEO Mark Beddingfield attended in person and introduced McGovern.
McGovern discussed the Red Cross mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies, highlighting its role in maintaining the country’s blood supply; training volunteers in skills such as CPR and First Aid; supporting military personnel, veterans and families with emergency assistance; international services coordinated with 192 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies; and relief for victims of disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, home fires.
McGovern highlighted the organization’s response to the pandemic, the development of online and virtual programs, its role in building more resilient communities and preventing disease with emphasis on vaccinating children against Measles. McGovern explained that the Red Cross launched a campaign to help prevent home fires, which account for most of the 60,000+ disasters responded to each year. McGovern also discussed the mounting challenges resulting from climate change and the organization’s efforts to prevent people from being displaced from their homes and reduce the risk of poverty.
She also applauded the dedication of Red Cross employees and volunteers who carry out lifesaving work every day, particularly through the toughest moments of the pandemic, in response to disasters such as tornadoes in Kentucky and through the invasion of Ukraine.
“There is something about Red Crossers—they see a need and they have to fill it, it’s extraordinary,” McGovern said. “Our volunteers stepped up and helped staff shelters, helped distribute food—during the pandemic, before anyone was even talking about vaccines. They masked up, they left their families, and they just had to fill the need…We just know how many people are relying on us. Where would they be if their home was gone and we did not stand up a response…People want to be part of a higher purpose.”