FAQs

Help Can't Wait After an Emergency

Your gift helps ensure no one faces an emergency alone.

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Getting Assistance

The Red Cross responds to emergencies in order to meet the urgent needs of those affected by disaster. Our focus is to ensure those impacted are provided safe shelter, food, emotional support, health services, and critical relief items. Once emergent needs are met the Red Cross works one-on-one with clients to help them plan their recovery.

 

Services such as evacuation coordination, search and rescue, advanced medical care, pet sheltering and medical sheltering are best performed by government agencies or organizations that have the resources, trained workers and expertise to carry out those functions.

No. Power outages are often widespread and sometimes affect hundreds of thousands of people. It would be nearly impossible—both logistically and financially—for the Red Cross to replace groceries for that many people.

We encourage people who plan to stay in a Red Cross shelter to bring the following items for each member of their family: prescription and emergency medication, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, important documents and other comfort items. Additionally, special items for children and infants, such as diapers, formulas and toys, should be brought, along with other items for family members who may have other needs.

Please contact your local chapter or 1-800-RED-CROSS for immediate assistance following a disaster. To find a shelter or register as Safe and Well, please click here.

From a computer, visit the GET ASSISTANCE section of www.redcross.org and click on “Find An Open Shelter.” Red Cross shelters that are currently open will be indicated with a flag on the map and in a list on the right side of your screen. By clicking on either the flag or the name of the shelter a new box will appear on the map with the address of the shelter. You can also use the search box to find shelters close to a specific address or within a certain zip code.

During an emergency, knowing loved ones are safe can provide great peace of mind. That’s why the Red Cross provides helpful tips for connecting with loved ones if you are separated during a disaster or emergency. In certain circumstances, such as if your loved one is elderly, is a military member or veteran, or if you were separated due to an emergency evacuation, your local Red Cross chapter may be able to provide additional assistance.

Blood Donation Process

Donating blood is a simple thing to do, but can make a big difference in the lives of others. The donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour. The donation itself is only about 8-10 minutes on average. The steps in the process are:
 

Registration

  1. You will complete donor registration, which includes information such as your name, address, phone number, and donor identification number (if you have one).
  2. You will be asked to show a donor card, driver’s license or two other forms of ID.
     

Health History and Mini Physical

  1. You will answer some questions during a private and confidential interview about your health history and the places you have traveled.
  2. You will have your temperature, hemoglobin, blood pressure and pulse checked.
     

Donation

  1. We will cleanse an area on your arm and insert a brand–new, sterile needle for the blood draw. This feels like a quick pinch and is over in seconds.
  2. You will have some time to relax while the bag is filling. (For a whole blood donation, it is about 8-10 minutes. If you are donating platelets, red cells or plasma by apheresis the collection can take up to 2 hours.)
  3. When approximately a pint of blood has been collected, the donation is complete and a staff person will place a bandage on your arm. 
     

Refreshments

  1. You will spend a few minutes enjoying refreshments to allow your body time to adjust to the slight decrease in fluid volume.
  2. After 10-15 minutes you can then leave the donation site and continue with your normal daily activities.
  3. Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment knowing that you have helped to save lives.


Your gift of blood may help up to three people. Donated red blood cells do not last forever. They have a shelf-life of up to 42 days. A healthy donor may donate every 56 days.

After you give blood:
 

Take the following precautions:

  • Drink an extra four glasses (eight ounces each) of non-alcoholic liquids.
  • Keep your bandage on and dry for the next five hours, and do not do heavy exercising or lifting.
  • If the needle site starts to bleed, raise your arm straight up and press on the site until the bleeding stops.
  • Because you could experience dizziness or loss of strength, use caution if you plan to do anything that could put you or others at risk of harm. For any hazardous occupation or hobby, follow applicable safety recommendations regarding your return to these activities following a blood donation.
  • Eat healthy meals and consider adding iron-rich foods to your regular diet, or discuss taking an iron supplement with your health care provider, to replace the iron lost with blood donation.
  • If you get a bruise:  Apply ice to the area intermittently for 10-15 minutes during the first 24 hours. Thereafter, apply warm, moist heat to the area intermittently for 10-15 minutes. A rainbow of colors may occur for about 10 days.
  • If you get dizzy or lightheaded:  Stop what you are doing, lie down, and raise your feet until the feeling passes and you feel well enough to safely resume activities.
  • And remember to enjoy the feeling of knowing you have helped save lives!
  • Schedule your next appointment

Only for a moment. Pinch the fleshy, soft underside of your arm. That pinch is similar to what you will feel when the needle is inserted.

Redcrossblood.org has a list of frequently asked questions.

For your convenience we have several ways in which you can provide financial support to the American Red Cross.

  • Online: Make a donation online by selecting DONATE FUNDS in the upper left-hand corner of the page.
  • Phone: Call in your donation, by dialing 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669).
  • Mail: You can submit your donation by mailing a check to:
            American Red Cross
            PO Box 37839
            Boone, IA 50037-0839
  • Mobile: Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation and support disaster relief efforts.
  • At your local Red Cross Chapter: Donations can be made by dropping off cash or a check at your local chapter. Find your nearest chapter now.
  • Please note: The American Red Cross website processes credit card donations in US dollars only. Donors should indicate the amount of the desired donation in US dollars and the currency conversion will be processed through the donor’s credit card company.Online: Make a donation online by selecting DONATE FUNDS in the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Adding an additional 2.5% to the amount of your donation will help cover processing fees and other expenses associated with the processing of your gift. This fee is not required to make a financial gift. You may choose to add the additional amount at the time of your online donation.

If you opt-in to the transaction processing fee as part of your monthly gift, the 2.5% fee will be added to the amount of each monthly donation transaction. You can remove the transaction processing fee at any time by logging in to your financial account on redcross.org or by contacting Donor Care at 1-800-RED CROSS, option 2.

Career Opportunities

Know more about Career opportunities at Red Cross

Positions

We have a variety of full and part time positions.  This varies with our different lines of business. Please see our Career Opportunities page for more information and how to search for positions of interest.
 

We periodically hire interns and some of our roles are appropriate for new college graduates.  Our internships can be paid or unpaid---see our university programs page to search for openings and more information.

Learn more

The American Red Cross is a global organization with offices across the world. You can view of list of U.S. Red Cross locations, here.

Applying for a Job

Yes, you can apply for multiple openings.

The application process for a former Red Cross employee is the same as other candidates.

To see your application status, first sign-in to our careers site and select Action Center from the dropdown menu in the upper right-hand corner.

  • Provided emergency communication between members of the armed forces and their families
  • Recruited and certified 104,456 registered nurses to support military medical facilities
  • Collected 13.4 million pints of blood for military patients

The mission of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces is to provide humanitarian support to service members, veterans and their families around the clock, around the globe, under a trusted symbol.

Service to the Armed Forces ensures that current members of the miltary and their families have worldwide, 24-hour access to timely and reliable emergency communications, case management services, and access to emergency financial assistance from the military aid socieities. The Red Cross also supports service members and their families at Veterans Affairs (VA) and military hospitals, in communities throughout the U.S., and on military installations around the world. The organization continues to enhance existing programs and establish new services to meet the needs of today’s service members, veterans and their families.

Donate Blood View full page

Military service is unique, frequently separating families for extended periods of time and often placing loved ones in harm’s way. Red Cross emergency communication services keep families in this unique situation connected when an emergency occurs back home. Our 24/7 communications system enables military families to apply to military aid societies for emergency financial assistance.

Even at a time when families can stay connected through e-mail and cell phones, the Red Cross communications service is critical during times of emergency. Red Cross workers are able to quickly verify the circumstances of a family emergency and provide a verified and confidential report to a service member’s commanding officer. This helps military authorities make timely, informed decisions on when, and whether, to send someone home armed with the best information available. When days, hours and minutes matter, the Red Cross is able to help make a trusted connection.

The American Red Cross provides tracing and messaging services. Traces can be initiated in cases where the location of a loved one is unknown. The American Red Cross caseworker will gather the available information and then American Red Cross will work with its international Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to try to locate the sought person. The American Red Cross also provides Red Cross Messaging services. Red Cross messages can be used to facilitate communication internationally in instances where the sought person’s location is known, but regular means of communication are unavailable.

Family is defined broadly by the American Red Cross to account for cultural and personal differences in the way family is defined. Generally, the Red Cross will search for any loved one as long as communication had been established at one point and was then severed by a humanitarian emergency.

The personal information that we collect from you is completely confidential and is used only to help find your missing relative. We will only disclose the information you provided to us with your consent.

The American Red Cross has no role in bringing persons from other countries to the United States or securing or verifying visas. The United States government processes all requests for travel to the United States. The process usually begins at the overseas United States Embassy in the country where the person wishing to travel to the United States lives.

The American Red Cross helps to reconnect families separated internationally by war, disaster, migration and other humanitarian emergencies. Requests can be accepted from family members who were in contact before the emergency situation separated them. A sufficient amount of information on the missing family member is needed to initiate a search. Service may not be available in all countries or all areas of specific countries due to security restrictions or accessibility barriers. If you would like to initiate an international search for a family member, please call our free national helpline at 844-782-9441 or use the International Reconnecting Families Inquiry Form.

Blood Donation Checklist

  • Donation frequency: every 56 days, up to 6 times a year*

  • You must be in good health and feeling well*

  • You must be at least 16 years old in most states

  • You must weigh at least 110 lbs

  • You must be in good health and feeling well*
Additional Requirements Learn more

The American Red Cross provides tracing and messaging services. Traces can be initiated in cases where the location of a loved one is unknown. The American Red Cross caseworker will gather the available information and then American Red Cross will work with its international Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to try to locate the sought person. The American Red Cross also provides Red Cross Messaging services. Red Cross messages can be used to facilitate communication internationally in instances where the sought person’s location is known, but regular means of communication are unavailable.

Family is defined broadly by the American Red Cross to account for cultural and personal differences in the way family is defined. Generally, the Red Cross will search for any loved one as long as communication had been established at one point and was then severed by a humanitarian emergency.

The personal information that we collect from you is completely confidential and is used only to help find your missing relative. We will only disclose the information you provided to us with your consent.

The American Red Cross has no role in bringing persons from other countries to the United States or securing or verifying visas. The United States government processes all requests for travel to the United States. The process usually begins at the overseas United States Embassy in the country where the person wishing to travel to the United States lives.

The American Red Cross helps to reconnect families separated internationally by war, disaster, migration and other humanitarian emergencies. Requests can be accepted from family members who were in contact before the emergency situation separated them. A sufficient amount of information on the missing family member is needed to initiate a search. Service may not be available in all countries or all areas of specific countries due to security restrictions or accessibility barriers. If you would like to initiate an international search for a family member, please call our free national helpline at 844-782-9441 or use the International Reconnecting Families Inquiry Form.

The American Red Cross provides tracing and messaging services. Traces can be initiated in cases where the location of a loved one is unknown. The American Red Cross caseworker will gather the available information and then American Red Cross will work with its international Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to try to locate the sought person. The American Red Cross also provides Red Cross Messaging services. Red Cross messages can be used to facilitate communication internationally in instances where the sought person’s location is known, but regular means of communication are unavailable.

Family is defined broadly by the American Red Cross to account for cultural and personal differences in the way family is defined. Generally, the Red Cross will search for any loved one as long as communication had been established at one point and was then severed by a humanitarian emergency.

The personal information that we collect from you is completely confidential and is used only to help find your missing relative. We will only disclose the information you provided to us with your consent.

The American Red Cross has no role in bringing persons from other countries to the United States or securing or verifying visas. The United States government processes all requests for travel to the United States. The process usually begins at the overseas United States Embassy in the country where the person wishing to travel to the United States lives.

The American Red Cross helps to reconnect families separated internationally by war, disaster, migration and other humanitarian emergencies. Requests can be accepted from family members who were in contact before the emergency situation separated them. A sufficient amount of information on the missing family member is needed to initiate a search. Service may not be available in all countries or all areas of specific countries due to security restrictions or accessibility barriers. If you would like to initiate an international search for a family member, please call our free national helpline at 844-782-9441 or use the International Reconnecting Families Inquiry Form.