Frequently Asked Questions

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.XX

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.XX

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.XX

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 were 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. XX

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.XX

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.XX

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.XX

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. XXXX

There is a wide variety of volunteer opportunities at the Red Cross to support all of the organization's services. People wishing to volunteer their time can contact us for a list of volunteer opportunities through our Garden City Area Red Cross Chapter. International disaster relief workers are drawn from a pool of volunteers and employees with extensive prior experience.

Individuals wishing to make a financial donation to the American Red Cross may send a check to:

American Red Cross

Garden City Area Chapter
210 Fulton Terrace
Garden City, KS 67846-6151

Why does the Red Cross discourage donations of collected goods and individual items for disaster relief?
Collections of items require valuable and scarce resources such as time, money, and personnel to sort, clean, and distribute them, which come at the expense of the emergency activities relief workers are attempting to perform. The Red Cross has neither the resources, nor the logistical set-up, to properly handle these types of donations, and therefore cannot accept them.

In addition, because we have no way of knowing what spontaneous individual donations or unsolicited collections of items will consist of, we cannot ensure there will be enough of a particular item to distribute it equitably, or if the donated products will even be appropriate for the relief effort.

Shipping donated goods is also costly and particularly difficult in the aftermath of a disaster, as inroads into disaster sites are often damaged or impassable, and easily clogged with shipments of non-priority items. The Red Cross makes every attempt to procure items locally to save money by minimizing transportation and storage costs. Local procurement also ensures that the items distributed to disaster victims are appropriate for their culture and diet.