Why the American Red Cross?
Your donation powers the Red Cross response to nearly 70,000 disasters a year nationwide, providing shelter, food, emotional support and other necessities to those affected.
By making a charitable donation to the Red Cross, you are there for millions of people who face emergencies every year and help as they rebuild their lives.
Our Mission
Mission in Action
Stories of People You Help
Sometimes you take things for granted that you shouldn’t.
This weekend, I’m just, you know, enjoying life.
When things like this happen, I think you find a new perspective on life.
Do you have a Red Cross story? Please share your Red Cross experience with us here.
Greg Reynolds refuses to give up baseball. He has loved the sport his entire life. He says that it’s in his blood, but after a devastating motorcycle accident—one that took his right arm and initially left him in a coma—no one was sure that he’d survive. In the hospital, Greg received more than 100 units of blood—so much that his blood type changed, but it made all the difference. Generous Red Cross blood donors gave Greg the chance to fight his way out of a coma and get back onto the ball field. Today, when he has a bat in his hand, Greg says he forgets about his injury. He’s just grateful to be alive.
Teen lifeguard Reid Heiser is a true lifesaver. As soon as he heard that a man collapsed from a heart attack on nearby tennis courts, he sprung into action. Putting his Red Cross CPR training to use, Reid kept Jim Hammer alive for 11 minutes until EMTs arrived. Though the two met under unusual circumstances, they’ve struck up a friendship. Reid and Jim now work together at the same YMCA where Reid saved Jim’s life.
Sarah Centrella, a single mom, unexpectedly lost her job. While struggling to support three young children, her problems were compounded by an emergency. A sprinkler system flooded her entire home, leaving it uninhabitable. Sarah looked around that day—firefighters in every room—put her hands to her face and cried. Luckily, Red Cross workers were there. They made sure the family had all the basics, from a safe place to stay and warm food to toothbrushes and toiletries. They even gave her children stuffed animals, a small touch that made a big difference. Sarah says the Red Cross “gave me that break, that leverage, to be able to get it together.”
After a hurricane devastated my community, I was so touched by the huge outpouring of assistance offered by neighbors and complete strangers. You don't realize how difficult any natural disaster can really be, until it happens to you!!
The Red Cross helped my mother. She lost her home of 31 years to a house fire. The Red Cross provided emergency funds for food and shelter immediately. It's that kind of help that we want others to experience no matter what they are facing.
I was driving from Chicago to Dallas and I was stuck in a huge snow storm. We were given shelter in a nearby church… I saw American Red Cross volunteers helping all the people in church with hot coffee, warm blankets and other food... I was so impressed with the service and the way they were helping people... I decided that if I got a chance, I would definitely help.
When you donate to the Red Cross, your donation is used efficiently. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the American Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs.