Red Cross says N.J. volunteers helped thousands in 2025 as holiday donations are encouraged
NEW JERSEY — American Red Cross volunteers in the New Jersey Region became a lifeline for thousands of families affected by disasters across the state in 2025, the organization said Monday.
Throughout the year, volunteers worked alongside community partners to provide shelter, meals, emotional support and basic health services for residents impacted by flooding, wildfires and more than 1,000 home fires statewide. The Red Cross also distributed direct financial assistance to thousands of households recovering from disasters large and small.
The need for assistance continues to grow, the organization said. Nationwide, Red Cross responses to home fires increase nearly 20% during the holiday season because of heightened risks linked to cooking and home heating.
“When people’s lives are upended by home fires and other disasters, it’s thanks to generous donations that our volunteers have the resources to deliver comfort, hope and support to help people recover,” said Kim Goetz, interim regional executive for the American Red Cross New Jersey Region. Goetz continued, “Through the simple act of giving, we come together as a community to help our neighbors when it’s needed most.”
The Red Cross is encouraging New Jerseyans to support relief efforts this holiday season by making a financial donation at redcross.org/NJ, volunteering, or scheduling an appointment to give blood or platelets. The organization emphasized that the need for blood is constant, and medical emergencies do not pause during the holidays.
Volunteers helped disaster survivors, hospital patients and military families in 2025
New Jersey–based disaster volunteers deployed nationwide to assist with major crises, including wildfires in California, tornadoes in Missouri and Arkansas, and flooding in Texas and Kentucky. As disasters grow more frequent and severe, the Red Cross said families increasingly rely on volunteer support.
This year, more than 105,000 blood donations and 4,900 platelet donations collected in New Jersey helped patients locally and across the country, including people facing cancer, sickle cell disease, traumatic injuries and childbirth complications. The organization noted that emergency care depends on blood already on hospital shelves.
Service to the Armed Forces volunteers supported military members, veterans and families at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Naval Weapons Station Earle and veterans memorial homes statewide.
