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What
is the worst disaster the Red Cross has ever dealt with?
The natural disaster with the highest death toll in U.S.
history was the Galveston, Texas, hurricane of 1900 in which
an estimated 6,000 people were killed. Clara Barton, founder
and president of the American Red Cross in 1900, gathered
a team and traveled by train from Washington, D.C., to Galveston
as soon as she heard the news of the disaster to provide
relief.
Hurricane
Katrina, which made landfall on August 29, 2005, is the
most expensive single, natural disaster in the organization’s
history to date and necessitated the largest mobilization
of Red Cross workers for a single relief operation. In the
weeks and months that followed that devastating storm and
two subsequent severe hurricanes—Rita and Wilma—that
struck the Gulf Coast states during the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane
Season, more than 233,000 Red Cross workers were activated
and/or deployed to provide shelter, food, water and other
immediate necessities for millions of storm survivors. Ninety-five
percent of those workers were volunteers. As the response
to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma shifted from emergency
relief to providing recovery assistance, cost estimates
for the operation reached $2.116 billion.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 their local Red Cross chapter
or to
American
Red Cross
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, DC 20013.
Also,
donors may call 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) or, for
Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575 to charge a financial contribution
to their credit cards. Donations may also be made on our
secure Internet site.
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Where
can I find evidence of Red Cross insurance coverage?
Evidence of Red Cross insurance coverage is available in
the form of a Memorandum of Insurance (MOI) at www.marsh.com/moi?client=2077.
The MOI is a listing of liability policies, policy numbers
and insurance companies, and general property information
prepared by Marsh USA, Inc., the insurance broker for the
Red Cross. The Memorandum is available at any time, subject
to web site maintenance and information updates.
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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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