American Red Cross is an agency chartered by Congress to conduct national and international relief. This non-profit making and humanitarian organization is devoted to responding to floods, pestilence, fire, and famine, among other national disasters. American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton in 1881; in Washington, DC. The services are charitable. The agency is responsible for ensuring preparedness to prevent future occurrences of calamities. Despite being a non-profit organization, American Red Cross has played an essential role in shaping the lives of communities through humanitarian activities.
American Red Cross (ARC) offers a wide range of charitable services such as blood donation, provision of safe and healthy training, and disaster relief services to the armed forces (Will, 2022). Daily, at least 36 blood Services sites and 600 chapters are operational to support the victims of calamities. Globally, American Red Cross is well known for blood donation. The agency ensures a steady blood supply in health facilities through blood donations. Therefore, they gather and supply blood beyond the United States. The agency responds to emergencies arising from calamities that take a natural or artificial course. During a disaster, the agency ensures that the victims receive adequate food, shelter, and other basic needs. Safety and health training is offered by the American Red Cross (Will, 2022). According to disaster reports, American Red Cross responds to over 70,000 calamities yearly.
The agency provides training programs on water safety, first aid, and other relevant courses. These safety and health training programs emphasize readiness and preparedness in natural or artificial calamities. People become aware of the proactive procedures to undertake while mitigating vulnerabilities. American Red Cross has also partnered in international services (Will, 2022). They are committed to mitigating human suffering through their partners, such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with a common goal of supporting and protecting lives. The agency has contacted the most vulnerable people in many world societies. Families have been reconnected after natural calamities as the public members are educated on calamity preparedness and measures. The agency, therefore, strives to ensure that the well-being of people is prioritized through humanitarian services.
The types of disasters to which the American Red Cross respond range from natural disaster and man-made disaster to health emergencies. Being a non-profit organization, American Red Cross is governed by a volunteer board of directors. American Red Cross ensures that families and other persons attached to veterans and service members can access humanitarian services. Besides, the agency works closely with the armed forces worldwide while servicing wounded soldiers. They offer material help to injured armed warriors and other necessities to their affected families (Will, 2022).
The American Red Cross is governed by a board of directors that work on a volunteer basis. There are no partnerships between the agency and the Federal government. Having received a charter from Congress, the agency and its operations are recognized by the Federal government. It operates under government jurisdiction as the Federal provides oversight during calamities. However, the agency is mainly governed by volunteers that have channeled resources needed during the disaster. Leaders from communities and stakeholders have crucial duties and responsibilities in the American Red Cross (Will, 2022). The charter defines the responsibilities of the agency. According to the Charter, the American Red Cross must establish and ensure a national and international calamity relief system. ARC was created based on the Congress Act as a congressionally chartered organization. The charter, therefore, provides ARC with clear responsibilities and privileges, mainly offering humanitarian aid to communities. The federal government has jurisdiction over the American Red Cross, which requires the organization to function under oversight. The organization is entitled to government funding despite acquiring monetary donations from other volunteers (Will, 2022).
In conclusion, the American Red Cross is crucial in saving and supporting people amid natural or man-made calamities. Catastrophic natural disasters often cause displacement of people and loss of lives (Will, 2022). Communities are separated from their loved ones. As a result, American Red Cross, under the Congress Charter, is tasked with ensuring that the victims are well supported with the available resources.
References
Will, B. (2022). The American Red Cross and the Making of Ernest Hemingway. South Central Review, 39(1),20–38.
https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/PDF_s/GuideToServices.pdf
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