Today marks the start of Red Cross Month, and the Hawaii Red Cross plans events throughout March to raise money, awareness and volunteers for the organization. Coming up this month are a Hats Off donation drive, an online auction, and a shopping fundraiser at Kahala Mall. While most people associate the Red Cross with large-scale disasters, the local chapter responds to everyday emergencies in Hawai'i about once every three days. The Hawaii Red Cross trains more than 33,000 people each year through free workshops covering CPR, first aid, nurse aide skills, family caregiving,lifeguarding, water safety, baby sitting and pet first aid. They also offers free summer swimming lessons. In a lesser-known role, the Hawai'i chapter also provides extensive support to military service members and their families. The Red Cross facilitates emergency communication between deployed Hawai'i soldiers and their loved ones, runs the entire volunteer program at Tripler Army Medical Center, and provides psychological first aid training for military families before, during and after deployment. Because the Red Cross is not a government agency, all of its services are made possible through donations and volunteer efforts