8 Things You Didn’t Know About the American Red Cross
June 29, 2009 by admin ·
1. All disaster assistance is free, with no payment expected or accepted.
The Red Cross has long served as a welcome beacon to those in urgent need of assistance. In disasters large and small, Red Cross workers focus on victims’ basic needs: shelter, food, clothing, and counseling. The Red Cross also helps victims obtain temporary housing, lost medications, and other necessities. Long-term assistance is provided when other resources, such as insurance benefits of government assistance are delayed, insufficient, or unavailable.
2. The Red Cross offers free disaster preparedness trainings.
These one-hour trainings, known as Be Red Cross Ready, are provided free of charge to community groups, businesses, organizations, churches, etc. The trainings help minimize the impact of disasters on your life by teaching you three essential steps to disaster preparedness: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed. To find out how to schedule one of these trainings please contact our office.
3. The Red Cross is the only organization to facilitate emergency communications for U.S. military members and their families.
With thousands of military personnel still stationed in Iraq and other posts around the world, the Red Cross continues to be the vital communications link between service men and women and their families at home. The Red Cross helps send emergency messages regarding the death or serious illness of a family member, the birth of a child, or other family emergency. The Red Cross also has licensed mental health professionals to provide guidance, information, referrals, and other needs for military personnel and families.
4. Nationally, the Red Cross is nation’s single largest supplier of blood.
Blood and blood components are used in emergency services, in the treatment of cancer patients, for people with blood disorders, and in other lifesaving treatments.
5. No other organization provides a full range of health and safety training so that youth as young as three and adults of all ages can learn skills to save a life or prevent disaster.
Through health and safety education, trained individuals become vital links in the “chain of survival” are empowered with the knowledge that allows each to be a lifesaver. The Red Cross is our community’s leader in health and safety education, teaching people how to avoid emergencies, lead safer, healthier lives, and change the outcomes of potentially fatal situations.
6. The American Red Cross benefits from a vibrant and enthusiastic youth program.
The Red Cross offers babysitting training to youth ages 11-15. These trainings teach potential babysitters how to choose appropriate toys and games, how to respond to an emergency, basic first aid, what to do when an infant chokes, and lots more.
7. Volunteers comprise over 96% of the Red Cross workforce.
We simply could not do the work of the Red Cross without our volunteers. We rely on our volunteers to help people plan and prepare for emergencies, provide training in lifesaving skills, assist victims of disasters, connect families, or simply lend a helping hand. Our volunteers get back as much as they give, and often much more. Red Cross volunteers come from all walks of life, and for a variety of reasons.
8. We are not funded by the government.
The Red Cross is not a governmental agency and is not funded by the government. We rely on donations from the community, local businesses, grants, and the United Way to provide programs and services in the communities we serve. We are grateful for the voluntary contributions that allow us to be the pre-eminent disaster organization in the country.
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