The Mission of the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and 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. The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

Volunteer Philosophy of the American Red Cross

Volunteers are individuals who reach out beyond the confines of their paid employment and of their normal responsibilities to contribute time and service to a not-for-profit cause in the belief that their activity is beneficial to others as well as satisfying to themselves. The American Red Cross strives to attract and involve a diverse and multi-skilled volunteer work force. Our volunteers insure that the American Red Cross continues to provide effective services that are responsive to the changing needs of the American public. Special emphasis is placed on the meaningful involvement of youth and young adults, the development of strong volunteer leaders, the recruitment of nurses especially student nurses, and the integration of our 1.2 million Red Cross volunteers into planning at all levels of the organization. Red Cross paid and volunteer staff work together to deliver on the American Red Cross promise, "We'll be there!"

Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities

As the largest humanitarian organization in the United States, the Red Cross depends on volunteers to accomplish the organization's mission: providing relief to victims of disasters and helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. To prepare volunteers to participate in this vital mission, the Red Cross provides training for most volunteer positions; the level of training varies according to the requirements of the position. For example, Red Cross disaster volunteers work in a variety of positions, with specific training courses for each job. Training for health and safety instructors starts with a four- to six-hour course, with as many as 38 additional hours of training for special skills. Nurses bring specialized skills and experience and are incorporated into all Red Cross lines of service. Volunteers serve at all levels of the Red Cross, so get involved with the Gibson County Chapter today by clicking on our volunteers page and filling out an application.