1. How can the Red Cross help me?
The Red Cross is committed to saving lives and easing suffering. Our 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 a fire, tornado, flood, severe storm or other disaster, it provides relief services to victims who need food, clothing, shelter, emergency medical supplies and mental health counseling.
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2. 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 bloodborne disease through transfusion are far less than the risks of not receiving that transfusion. 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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3. 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 coordinated 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 over 50,000 workers arrived on the scene to provide assistance.
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4. What actions have the Red Cross taken to help the victims of September 11?
In 2006, the National Red Cross released a special report on the Red Cross efforts to help those affected by the events of September 11, 2001. Click here to view the report.
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5. Where did the idea for the Red Cross come from?
The Red Cross idea was born in 1859 when Henry Dunant, a young Swiss man, came upon the aftermath of a bloody battle in Solferino, Italy between the armies of imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardian 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. This action 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 175 National Societies including the American Red Cross of the United States.
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6. 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 mission beyond that of the International Red Cross Movement by adding disaster relief to battle field assistance. She served as the organization's volunteer president until 1904.
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7. 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 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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8. Since the 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, National Guard and Reserve Units and their families around the world. Working in the same difficult situations and dangerous environment as U.S. troops, Red Cross members 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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9. I heard that the Red Cross required servicemen to pay for coffee and donuts during World War II. Is that true?
While it is true, the reasons for it are not well-known. All English and Australian men in uniform had to pay for off-base food and lodging because voluntary giving (which is characteristic of the United States) was not the pattern in other countries. The Red Cross was asked by the government to establish club facilities for U.S. servicemen overseas where troops for Allied forces would be welcome. The British high command then made an official request that U.S. servicemen be required to pay for whatever they received, just as the British and Australians had to pay. The Red Cross was adamantly opposed to this concept and protested vehemently. They lost the fight, however, when a letter of "request" came from Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson to Norman H. Davis, Chairman of the American Red Cross on March 20, 1942. His letter was tantamount to a command with which the Red Cross complied. The organization has been living with the ramifications of this request ever since.
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10. 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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11. Why won't the Red Cross accept donations of items such as clothing, food or cleaning supplies--
doesn't every little bit help?
The Red Cross does not accept donations of material items (called "in-kind" donations) because receipt of such items can actually hamper relief efforts. The financial and personnel costs of receiving, sorting, transporting goods and ensuring the quality and cleanliness of items donated from 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 donated dollars, that enables victims to purchase what they need in the correct size 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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12. 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. Individuals can also make a financial donation to the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana. Individuals wishing to make a blood donation to the Red Cross should call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).
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