How can the Red Cross help me?
Can I get a disease if I give blood?
What is the worst disaster the Red Cross
has ever dealt with?
Who founded the Red Cross?
Who founded the American Red Cross?
What is the Mission of the American Red
Cross?
Why are symbols other than a red cross
used by other National Societies within the Movement?
What are the fundamental principles of
the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement?
U.S. Armed Forces have highly skilled
medical staff as part of their fighting force, why
does the American Red Cross send its members into
battle?
Is the American Red Cross part of the
U.S. government?
Why won't the Red Cross accept small,
individual donations or collections of items such
as clothing, food or cleaning supplies-doesn't every
little bit help?
What can I do to help?
Where can I give blood?
How
can the Red Cross help me?
The Red Cross is committed to saving lives and easing
suffering. This diverse organization serves humanity
and helps you by providing relief to victims of disaster,
both locally and globally. The Red Cross is responsible
for half of the nation's blood supply and blood products.
The Red
Cross gives health and safety training to the public
and provides emergency social services to U.S. military
members and their families. In the wake of an earthquake,
tornado, flood, fire, hurricane or other disaster,
it provides relief services to communities across
the country. The Red Cross is America's most trusted
charity, and it needs the support of compassionate
Americans to succeed.
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Can
I get a disease if I give/receive blood?
Giving blood: The procedure itself is very safe-every
donation is taken from a new and sterile needle, which
is immediately disposed of after that single use.
When these procedures are followed, you cannot contract
the virus that causes AIDS.
Receiving
blood: It is also safe to receive a blood transfusion.
In fact, the risks of contracting a blood-borne disease
through transfusion are far less than the risks of
not receiving that transfusion at all. The nation's
blood supply is safer today than it has ever been
and is as safe as modern science and medicine can
make it. The chance of contracting the virus that
causes AIDS through a blood transfusion is 1 in 1.5
million.
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What
is the worst disaster the Red Cross has ever dealt
with?
The highest natural disaster death toll in U.S. history
was caused by the Galveston, Texas, hurricane of 1900,
which killed an estimated 6,000 people. The most expensive
disaster is the Terrorist Attacks of September 11,
2001. The destructive events will cost more than $997
million in disaster aid. The largest mobilization
of volunteers for a disaster relief operation was
also in response to the Terrorist Attacks of September
11, 2001, when a total of 54,577 workers arrived on
the scene to provide relief.
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Who
founded the Red Cross?
The Red Cross idea was born in 1859, when Henry Dunant,
a young Swiss man, came upon the scene of a bloody
battle in Solferino, Italy, between the armies of
imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardinian alliance.
Some 40,000 men lay dead or dying on the battlefield
and the wounded were lacking medical attention. Dunant
organized local people to bind the soldiers' wounds
and to feed and comfort them. On his return, he called
for the creation of national relief societies to assist
those wounded in war, and pointed the way to the future
Geneva Conventions.
In
October 1863, The International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement was created in Geneva, Switzerland,
to provide nonpartisan care to the wounded and sick
in times of war. The Red Cross emblem was adopted
at this first International Conference as a symbol
of neutrality and was to be used by national relief
societies. In August 1864, the representatives of
12 governments signed the Geneva Convention Treaty.
The extraordinary efforts of Henry Dunant led to the
eventual establishment of the International Red Cross.
Today, the Red Cross Movement incorporates the Geneva-based
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and
the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies (the International Federation),
as well as National Societies in 175 countries, including
the American Red Cross of the United States.
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Who
founded the American Red Cross?
Clara Barton (1821-1912) dominates the early history
of the American Red Cross, which was modeled after
the International Red Cross. She did not originate
the Red Cross idea, but she was the first person to
establish a lasting Red Cross Society in America.
She successfully organized the American Association
of the Red Cross in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 1881.
Created to serve America in peace and in war, during
times of disaster and national calamity, Barton's
organization took its service beyond that of the International
Red Cross Movement by adding disaster relief to battlefield
assistance. She served as the organization's volunteer
president until 1904.
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What
is the Mission of the American Red Cross?
The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization
led by volunteers, guided by its Congressional Charter
and the Fundamental Principles of the International
Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims
of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for,
and respond to emergencies.
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Why
are symbols other than a red cross used by other National
Societies within the Movement?
Although the red cross is not a religious symbol,
some societies view it as such. The symbol of the
red crescent is used instead of the red cross by societies
in most Islamic countries; and the Magen David Adom,
or Red Shield of David, is used in Israel.
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What
are the fundamental principles of the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement?
Humanity: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, born of a desire to bring assistance without
discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield,
endeavours, in its international and national capacity,
to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever
it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and
health and to ensure respect for the human being.
It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation
and lasting peace amongst all peoples.
Impartiality:
It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race,
religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It
endeavours to relieve the suffering of individuals,
being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority
to the most urgent cases of distress.
Neutrality:
In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all,
the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or
engage at any time in controversies of a political,
racial, religious or ideological nature.
Independence:
The Movement is independent. The National Societies,
while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of
their governments and subject to the laws of their
respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy
so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance
with the principles of the Movement.
Voluntary
Service: It is a voluntary relief movement
not prompted in any manner by desire for gain.
Unity:
There can be only one Red Cross or one Red Crescent
Society in any one country. It must be open to all.
It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout
its territory.
Universality:
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,
in which all Societies have equal status and share
equal responsibilities and duties in helping each
other, is worldwide.
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U.S.
Armed Forces have highly skilled medical staff as
part of their fighting force, why does the American
Red Cross send its members into battle?
In 1905, the U.S. Congress granted a charter to the
American Red Cross that required it to act "in
accord with the military authorities as a medium of
communication between the people of the United States
and their armed forces." Since then, the Red
Cross has provided communications and other humanitarian
services to help members of the U.S. military and
their families around the world. Living and working
in the same difficult situations and dangerous environment
as U.S. troops, Red Cross staff have given comfort
to soldiers thousands of miles from home by providing
emergency messages, about deaths and births, for example,
comfort kits and blank cards for troops to send home
to loved ones.
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Is
the American Red Cross part of the U.S. government?
The American Red Cross functions independently of
the government but works closely with government agencies,
such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
during times of major crises. It is responsible for
giving aid to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and
to disaster victims at home and abroad. It does this
through services that are consistent with its Congressional
Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement allowing the Red
Cross to stay neutral and impartial.
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Why
won't the Red Cross accept small, individual donations
or collections of items such as clothing, food or
cleaning supplies-doesn't every little bit help?
The Red Cross does not accept individual donations
of material items (called "in-kind" donations)
because receipt of such items can actually hamper
relief efforts. The financial and personnel cost of
receiving, sorting, transporting goods and ensuring
the quality and cleanliness of items donated by individual
households is very high. It does not allow for individuals
and families to receive what they uniquely need in
their own size and shape.
The
traditional method of providing Red Cross assistance
is with a voucher, redeemable at local stores and
paid for with donation dollars, that enables victims
to purchase what they need in the correct sizes and
in accordance with their own taste. Making even these
small decisions helps individuals begin to take control
of their lives and their recovery. In addition, this
process helps channel money into the local economy
and thus aids the community in recovery from disaster.
The Red Cross does accept large corporate donations
of food, bottled water and other items needed by the
disaster-affected communities.
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What
can I do to help?
There is a wide variety of volunteer opportunities
at the Red Cross to support all of the organization's
services. People who wish to volunteer should contact
their local American Red Cross chapter because the
vast majority of volunteer opportunities are typically
found within an individual's local community. International
disaster relief workers are drawn from a pool of paid
and volunteer staff with extensive prior experience.
Individuals
wishing to make a financial donation to the American
Red Cross may send a check to the Central Virginia
Red Cross chapter at:
American
Red Cross Central Virginia Chapter
1105 Rose Hill Drive
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
(434) 979-7143
Donors
may also make a donation on our secure
Internet site.
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Where
can I give blood?
Individuals wishing to make a blood donation to the
Red Cross may call their local Red Cross Blood Services
office or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
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