What is the Purpose of the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian non-government organization, committed to provide emergency assistance and disaster relief, in the United States. Also known as the American National Red Cross, it is affiliated to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The American Red Cross came into existence on May 21, 1881, as a result of sincere efforts put in by Clara Barton, an American humanitarian, who went on to become the first president of this organization. While on vacation in Europe, Barton came across International Red Cross which was actively providing relief for the Franco-Prussian war casualties. Impressed by the concept, she decided to start an organization based on similar lines in the United States. When she started working on this project in America, she had to face some difficulties to convince people that this organization would also be useful during crisis other than a war. Finally, she succeeded and the American Red Cross was formed, during President Chester A. Arthur's regime, with its headquarters in Washington DC. It came into action to provide relief to the affected during the Great Fire of 1881 in Michigan and Johnstown floods in Pennsylvania in 1889.

The Purpose of the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross has been involved in community services helping the needy, supporting military personnel and their families, providing life-saving blood and blood products, initiating educational programs promoting health and safety and international relief and development programs. All the activities are carried out by the volunteers, and financially supported by the community donations. Around a million Red Cross volunteers and 30,000 employees of the organization are mobilized across the nation to provide necessary relief in disaster scenario. It also trains people in basic medical skills and disaster management.

Since its formation in 1881, the American Red Cross has been involved in many relief works, not just in America but around the World. The organization responds to estimated 70,000 disaster calls annually, ranging from house fires to hurricanes. It is committed to provide health aid along with basic amenities, such as food and shelter to the people in disaster-hit areas and help the people to resume their daily activities. The United States military is also provided with emergency and non-emergency services. Other than medical aid, it helps the personnel establish emergency family communications.

Being the largest supplier of blood in the United States, it accounts to 44% of blood donation in the country. Its 'Tissue Services Program', which ended in 2005, provided allograft tissue to more than a million transplant recipients, who needed this life-saving tissue. On March 1, 1999, it implemented the Nucleic Acid Testing study, and became the first US organization to implement it. It also initiated cellular therapy, a treatment method that involves collecting and treating blood cells. In research, it has an annual investment of $25.

American Red Cross facilitates training in first aid, water safety, home safety and disaster preparedness to approximately 12 million civilians annually. Some Red Cross chapters also indulge in sale of first aid kits and other disaster relief equipment. The organization also has a first aid reference guide to spread awareness about safety procedures, and instruct in dealing with disaster situations and medical emergencies.

It is also an active participant in international projects, such as measles initiative, malaria programs and other disaster response activities like relief efforts in tsunami hit South Asia in 2004. It has two warehouses laden with emergency relief supplies, one each in Dubai and Panama, both being maintained by International Federation. American Red Cross has a department known as 'Emergency Response Unit', which is made up of trained personnel and prepackaged technical equipment required in disaster relief operations.

In 1994, American Red Cross was ranked the 3rd most popular charity/non-profit in America in a study by Nye Lavalle & Associates, published in 'Chronicle of Philanthropy'. With time this popularity has just grown and it will continue to grow in the years to come.