By: Sue Wilson, Volunteer Leader and Board Member

Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday after the Thanksgiving, following Black Friday. The term “Cyber Monday” was created by marketing companies to encourage online shopping  If you plan to do any online shopping and you use Amazon, check out  AmazonSmile. It is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com, but when you shop on AmazonSmile,  the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.

Just click  Amazon Smile to register for the program. When first visiting, customers are prompted to select a charitable organization from the almost one million eligible. Type  “Red Cross” in the search bar and select it as your charity of choice.  For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the customer’s selected  organization. Again, simply search and select  American Red Cross.  Note: The Red Cross is not being paid any fees to promote Amazon or AmazonSmile, but if you make The Red Cross your designated charity, it will receive a percentage as a donation.

You can also donate directly to the Red Cross to help provide safe shelter, food, emergency relief supplies, emotional support and health services to people in need. To make a tax-deductible donation, visit redcross.org/gifts and choose from a variety of symbolic gifts that give back to the community, or call 1-800-RED CROSS to support Red Cross services.

Donate blood: The holidays are a hectic time with upcoming travel, family gatherings and festive events, yet hospital patients don’t get a holiday from needing lifesaving blood donations.  To make an appointment to donate blood or platelets, visit redcrossblood.org.

Donate time: Volunteers are the backbone of the Red Cross and help respond to the needs of communities affected by disasters big and small. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, visit redcross.org.