Unfortunately, many blood drives have been canceled due to shut-downs . This has impacted the Red Cross’s ability to collect donations. Daily, 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,600 platelet donations are needed to supply patients at hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.

You Can Help

Summer is traditionally a difficult time to collect enough blood to meet patient needs. Accidents, medical emergencies and chronic blood conditions don’t take a break. Patients need blood every day. The blood supply must be continuously replenished to help prevent shortages during the coming weeks and months.

State Farm® has hosted American Red Cross blood drives for the past 25 years. Our employees have rolled up their sleeves and donated 45,694 units of blood at State Farm-sponsored drives since 1997.

State Farm invites all our neighbors to join us and the American Red Cross on the SleevesUp Campaign. Visit the State Farm SleevesUp page to make a pledge to give blood and schedule an appointment in your area. Make sure to tell your family and friends.

WATCH: Happy #GoodNeighborDay! We’ve teamed up with @StateFarm & @anthonyanderson to show us ways to get involved by volunteering! pic.twitter.com/R3DGelXXng

In honor of Good Neighbor Day, State Farm, the Good Neighbor brand, is organizing volunteer opportunities at events across the country throughout September and October as part of its Neighborhood of Good®. Volunteer opportunities will support local needs in education, family well-being and youth services. Established nearly 40 years ago today, Good Neighbor Day, September 28^th, highlights the role every neighbor plays in making a positive impact on local communities.

Collaborating with nonprofits, events are planned for Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Philadelphia and Phoenix, and in 30 additional cities. Each and every neighbor is encouraged to join and invite a friend, family member or coworker in honor of Good Neighbor Day to volunteer and double the impact in every community. To find an event near you or additional ways to volunteer visit www.NeighborhoodofGood.com.

Good Neighbor Day is an important moment that reminds us to roll up our sleeves, get involved and make a positive contribution. From the elderly neighbor down the street who needs help with yard work to the neighbor across the country who needs large-scale disaster relief, we know together we can turn caring into doing.

In further support of local communities, State Farm today announced the winners of its annual Neighborhood Assist® grant program. In its sixth year, the Neighborhood Assist grant program provides $25,000 grants to 40 causes that help make communities safer, stronger or better educated. The program asks individuals to identify, submit and vote on causes, with the top organizations receiving grants. To learn more about the program or to see the winning organizations, visit www.NeighborhoodAssist.com.

Together we can turn the power of caring into the act of doing in neighborhoods across the country.

• Parents: Ideas to Volunteer Together

Halloween and the tradition of trick-or-treating with children is a perfect time to introduce yourself to a neighbor if they stop by your house with their kids (or vice versa). In a recent Neighbors survey by Harris Poll and State Farm®, one in three Millennials reported they wish they were more connected to their neighbors. But it can also be a scary night for pedestrians and drivers trying to navigate through neighborhoods, especially in the dark. While the following tips are helpful on any day, State Farm encourages drivers to be especially alert on Halloween and designated times in the community when trick-or-treat is taking place. We’ve also teamed up with @SafeKidsWorldwide to help protect kids on the move. Make sure your kids can be seen on Halloween. Check out this video for fun ways to glow: http://bit.ly/2eaxMOF 

Traveling with the Treatsters (Pedestrian Safety) Watch out for kids scrambling for sugar fixes! While the following tips are helpful on any day, State Farm encourages drivers to be especially alert on Halloween. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, on average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween as on any other day of the year.

• Accompany young children, and hold hands when crossing streets.
• Use crosswalks.
• Look left, right and left again before crossing.
• Use a flashlight at night. Reflective tape or bright colors can help children be seen.
• Use sidewalks. If you must walk on the street, keep to the far left, facing traffic.
• Use face paint instead of a mask, which can obstruct vision.

State Farm has teamed up with etiquette expert and advice columnist Harriette Cole to help neighbors connect in simple ways. “Being a good neighbor is easy and can start with a simple gesture,” says Cole. “We may think we don’t have anything in common with our neighbors, but we do—our neighborhoods.”

Helpful do’s and don’ts when engaging with neighbors include:

• Introducing yourself. Many people are embarrassed that they don’t know their neighbors’ names. It’s never too late to introduce or reintroduce yourself.
• Smiling. Say hello with a smile: a smile can ease a nervous neighbor and help make a connection.
• Positive gestures: Never underestimate the power of small positive gestures like smiling, waving or simply saying hello.
• Let them know you’re a good neighbor and here to help – from lending a hammer to watching their home when they’re out of town. Drop off a card with your name and contact information.
• Respect boundaries and privacy. Be considerate and ask your neighbors if they have time to chat before launching into a story. And always make sure you’ve been invited to that BBQ before stopping by.
• Don’t Stay Inside. Get acquainted with your neighbors. Try spending time in the front yard or on the front stoop. You may be surprised who strikes up conversation.

Established by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, Good Neighbor Day is a time to get out and talk to your neighbors. Whether it’s someone who just moved in or the family down the street who’s lived there for 20 years, neighbors who know each other have happier and safer communities.

For more tips on connecting with your neighbor and information about the recently released State of Neighbors Survey go to http://st8.fm/neighbors.

When a vacant home in Madee’s Milwaukee neighborhood was up for sale last year, his uncle told him and his brother to go for it. Madee’s uncle is a contractor who works with ACTS Housing. He thought the young men would like living close to their parents.

The brothers went to the ACTS Housing raffle in June, 2015 thinking the home could be a fixer-upper. The young men believed this could be their opportunity to own a home. They put their names into the raffle and Madee ended up winning. Now all he had to do was come up with $3500.

He was nervous about next steps but ACTS was by his side. ACTS Housing put together a deal for Madee to buy the house. They coached him about his finances and grants. They also recommended contractors and provided him a loan for repairs.

By working with homeowners like Madee, ACTS Housing fills a gap in the housing market. Often, vacant and vandalized houses are tough to sell. ACTS families turn these houses into homes. Since 2008, ACTS has helped families purchase and rehab 915 houses in the city.

The new homeowners also save money switching from renting to owning. ACTS Housing makes a difference by strengthening neighborhoods and making homeownership dreams a reality.

Madee received a $2,500 grant and a loan from ACTS to support the renovations. Madee pays only $360 a month, not including utilities, for his home. Compared to the monthly average rental cost of $700, this is significant savings. For Madee, it’s not just about the savings. He explained, “I am proud to be a homeowner!”

Creating a Safe Neighborhood

Madee is living with his parents while he completes his home and hopes to move in soon. He shared that the neighborhood is a quieter place than when he was young. Madee explained, “The area has a promising future. When I was young, crime was bad. One time a bullet even penetrated my parents’ house. But now, I feel safe in my neighborhood.”

Now, many families call his neighborhood home. Businesses moved into the area and police patrol more often.

Madee wants to help keep the peace by starting a community watch. He also hopes others will buy vacant homes in his neighborhood to keep building up the area.

“I would recommend to others that they try this process,” the new homeowner shared. “You just need to plan a scope of work and stick to it.”

Learn more about the current state of American Neighbors @ www.statefarm.com/neighbors