Red Cross volunteers had a busy day with our Blue Shield partners in Lodi today! Not only did Blue Shield host an onsite blood drive, but employees also sat down with us to build 100 first aid kits and take part in a session for the Missing Maps project.
What is Missing Maps?
Imagine if your town had suffered catastrophic damage in a storm but emergency responders and aid workers couldn’t get there to help because your community wasn’t on any maps.
While this may seen strange to Westerners, it’s a real problem in other parts of the world.
To help get relief into people’s hands, the American Red Cross and partner organizations such as Blue Shield have joined with Missing Maps. Using OpenStreetMap, volunteers have put millions of people from high-risk countries on the map since 2014.
This makes a lifesaving difference for disaster workers combating deadly health crises like the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. And when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake ravaged parts of Nepal in 2015, volunteers worldwide sprang into action to map affected communities and roads to support relief efforts on the ground.
But much work still lies ahead to put more families in the world’s most vulnerable communities on the map—before disaster strikes.
You can help too! All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Volunteer at home, attend a mapathon or host one with family and friends.
- Visit Missing Maps » to learn how to get started or to find a Mapathon event.
- Contact your local Red Cross chapter » for opportunities in your community.
If you are intersted in volunteering with the American Red Cross or to make a donation, visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
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