American Red Cross
What the American Red Cross wants you to know
The American Red Cross empowers ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts in emergency situations. We train. We mobilize. We connect donors and volunteers to those in urgent need of a helping hand. Whether it is a hurricane or a heart attack, a call for blood or a call for help, the American Red Cross is here.
Our mission: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
- 11 times a week in Oregon and Southwest Washington, Red Cross volunteers help a family affected by a house fire or other disaster.
- 3 times a day in Oregon and Southwest Washington, the Red Cross provides services to military members, veterans and their families.
- 126 times a day in Oregon and Southwest Washington, someone receives life-saving Red Cross health and safety training.
- In Oregon and Southwest Washington, 573 units of blood are collected each day from area blood donors.
- Each day in Oregon and Southwest Washington, more than 78 people received life-saving Red Cross preparedness training.
- The American Red Cross collects and provides nearly 90 percent of blood used by patients treated in Oregon hospitals.
- 91 cents of every dollar the American Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs.
- For every 1 Red Cross Cascades Region staff person, 34 Red Cross volunteers respond to local and national disasters, provide emergency assistance to those in need, educate community members how to prepare for an emergency, help a member of the armed forces connect with a family member, and participate in health and safety training.
An illustration of how the American Red Cross helps our community
In the early hours of a cold winter morning, Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers responded to the scene of a multi-family fire in Baker City. They found Andy*, a military veteran in a wheelchair, who had been able to escape from the smoke-filled main house with the assistance of his caregiver, Sandy*. They saw smoke coming off the roof. They were left with no clothing other than their pajamas, and Andy had left behind his glasses, dentures, and medication. Sandy was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Red Cross provided Sandy and Andy with temporary lodging at a local motel and financial assistance to purchase groceries and replace clothing, shoes, and seasonal garments (winter coat, boots, gloves). The Red Cross helped the two develop a recovery plan – Sandy would help Andy contact his insurance and the VA – and a health services Red Cross volunteer assisted with medical needs.
Meanwhile, Sandy’s daughter and her family, who lived in a travel trailer behind the main house, had also managed to escape. The mother, father, two-year old daughter, and 6 month old infant – who uses a breathing machine for asthma – were left without power or heat. Red Cross provided temporary lodging at a local motel and financial assistance to purchase groceries until the damage to their home could be assessed.
Also affected was Chris* and his significant other and her two-year-old daughter, who lived in the guest house on the property. They were also were left without electricity or heat. Red Cross provided temporary lodging at a local motel and financial assistance to purchase groceries to meet the basic needs of the family until the power was restored and they could return to the house.
Now these families are on the road to recovery, thanks to Red Cross services supported by United Way.
*Names have been changed for this account.