The Luxembourg Red Cross has launched a digital and postal donation campaign to help finance its activities and help the most vulnerable members of society during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Despite having cancel its large door-to-door collection operation due to the health crisis, the Luxembourg Red Cross has mobilised its thousands of volunteers to share its "Hëlleft eis hëllefen" (help us to help) campaign message online and bring in donations to finance the organisation's charitable activities.
Rita Krombach, Vice-President of the Luxembourg Red Cross, explained: “We are currently in a doubly exceptional situation: on the one hand, we are asked more than ever to help the sick, people in situations of social exclusion and families in trouble. On the other hand, we had to cancel our traditional donation month for the first time since the end of the Second World War".
Traditionally, each year in April, more than 2,000 volunteers split among 40 local chapters go door-to-door asking their neighbours for donations. The so-called "Donation Month" represents the organisation's largest annual income from donations.
Rita Krombach continued: "I never imagined we would have to give up our quest and this disappointment is shared by many other volunteers, even if we all know that it would have been inconceivable to maintain our door-to-door operation in the current context".
The volunteer, who was also President of the local chapter of Luxembourg-City, went on to explain: “Doing the quest means going to meet people, tell them about our action, answer their questions and above all listen to them. It is impossible to replace this with a call for donations by post and through social media. But we are counting on the mobilisation of our thousands of volunteers on social media and on the solidarity of all residents to help us help". Ms Krombach added that she hoped to organise the donation month in September this year since the organisation "need[s] as much support as possible to help people who are facing the greatest difficulties today".
Anyone wishing to support the Luxembourg Red Cross can do so through an online donation at www.croix-rouge.lu or via bank transfer to the account CCPLULL LU52 1111 0000 1111 0000.
