The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. The first office of the American Red Cross in Oklahoma was established in 1917. The American Red Cross Serving Oklahoma is responsible for the safety and preparedness for 77 counties in the state through four chapters and hundreds of selfless volunteers. Today, the American Red Cross helps Oklahoma residents prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies with services provided by small paid staff and a corps of more than 1,000 volunteers. The Oklahoma Region responds to an average of more than 2,000 local disasters each year, providing immediate disaster assistance to Oklahoma residents in the form of emotional support, emergency shelter, food and comfort. We teach Oklahoma residents how to protect themselves or to help others in an emergency through courses in First Aid, CPR and Lifeguarding, as well as Babysitter training and Community Disaster Education programs. We provide emergency communications, counseling and other services to Oklahoma military families. And we support the collection of blood at thousands of drives across the state to provide lifesaving blood components and products to hospitals and acute care facilities in Oklahoma.