American Red Cross

Though the American Red Cross (ARC) was incorporated in 1881, its roots date back to 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland. A Swiss businessman, Jean-Henri Dunant, was travelling for business and witnessed the aftermath of a bloody battle near Solferino, Italy. He felt compelled to help the wounded in the battlefield that were left wounded and dying without care. This experience led Dunant to write a book describing what he saw, expressing the need for organized volunteers to aid wounded soldiers. This pivotal experience in his life led to the start of the International Committee of the Red Cross which was founded in Geneva in 1864. During this time, the United States was in the middle of a civil war and the need for aid during wartime was great. A woman named Clara Barton was working in a parallel fashion in the United States, bringing supplies, aid, and food to the injured during the Civil War. After a visit to Europe, where Barton learned of the work of the Red Cross, she fought to bring the Red Cross to the United States. She succeeded and founded the American Red Cross, officially the American National Red Cross, in 1881 (American Red Cross, n.d.). Ultimately, the organization would grow exponentially and do much more than provide wartime relief efforts (American Red Cross, n.d.).

The ARC provides humanitarian aid in the U.S. The ARC is an affiliate of the larger International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which is completely neutral, and values all nations and peoples equally. The ARC is part of a network of Red Cross organizations that are in over 180 countries. Its emblem, a Red Cross symbol, is used as a sign of neutrality and aid, though the crescent emblem is used in Muslim countries due the cross being seen as a symbol of Christianity. Seven principles of the Red Cross Movement guide the philosophy of all Red Cross organizations throughout the world: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality (Grabianowski, 2006). The mission of the organization is to provide "nonpartisan aid in times of war and peace, as well as disaster and emergency relief" (Coustan, 2005). According to its website, the official mission statement of the ARC is as follows:

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" (American Red Cross, n.d.).

In the United States there are over 700 chapters of the ARC and 36 Blood Service's regions with a focus on providing five main categories of services: Helping disaster victims, teaching lifesaving skills, collecting testing and supplying blood across our nation, connecting the armed forces with their families, and partnering in international services (American Red Cross, n.d.).

In times of disaster, the ARC comes to the aid of those who need help. Whether large international disasters like hurricanes, tsunamis, terrorist attacks, or small brush fires in Wilkes-Barre, PA, the organization provides aid no matter how large or small. CEO, Edward Winters, of the Wyoming Valley Chapter explained that the Red Cross mobilizes during all kinds of events. He said that his chapter recently provided food to firemen working to put out brush fires that occurred. The largest relief effort in its history was when the ARC came together to provide relief after Hurricane Katrina. The most expensive was after the 9-11 terrorist attacks that cost close to one billion dollars (Coustan, 2005).

The ARC is one of the largest blood suppliers to the U.S. population, striving to make safe blood available to those in need. According to American Red Cross (n.d.), "every two seconds, someone in America needs blood". Donor blood is thoroughly tested at labs which are regulated by the FDA and then used by all U.S. hospitals and the military. In addition to the collection and testing of blood, the ARC conducts extensive biological research surrounding blood and tissue research (American Red Cross, n.d.).

Another facet of the services provided by the ARC is teaching lifesaving skills through health and safety education programs, as well as providing community outreach programs. Programs such as CPR certification, lifeguard training, and HIV/AIDS education are a few of the ways the Red Cross helps community members to be safe and to help them to help others in the community. Additionally, local chapters of the Red Cross provide help for community members by providing shelters, youth groups, senior programs, food pantries, and other services (Grabianowski, 2006).

The origins of the ARC arose from a time of war and its foundation lies in the caring of wounded soldiers. It is fitting that service to our Armed Forces is one of the main services of the agency today. Whereby they provide help, training, and support to address the special needs of military families during times when a family member is away on active duty. The Red Cross also provides other services, including communications services, emergency financial needs, and aid to sick and wounded in military hospitals throughout the U.S. (American Red Cross, n.d.).

The ARC is networked with its other national societies to make progress in a number of global humanitarian concerns. Global health, disaster preparedness and response, restoring family links, promoting education, and adherence of international humanitarian law are more items that the international organization tends to. "As a national society, the American Red Cross works within this framework to help provide services for the world's most vulnerable people" (American Red Cross, n.d.). At the local, national, and global level the Red Cross exists to mobilize when a disaster strikes.

The ARC has been governed by a Congressional Charter since 1905. "Under this charter, the Red Cross acts as an instrument of the government, carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Geneva Convention and other tasks that the federal government delegates to it" (Grabianowski, 2006). The Red Cross is primarily concerned with aiding the victims of a disaster, where government agencies like Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other emergency personnel tackle the actual disaster at hand (Grabianowski, 2006). When disaster strikes, the ARC works very closely with the federal, state, and local government as well as our armed forces, and partners closely on the National Response Plans. Some may think of the ARC as a semi-government agency for this reason. Additionally, the ARC is governed by the amended and restated bylaws of the American National Red Cross, Geneva Conventions, International