Many people do not know if the Red Cross can help their family, but the Red Cross is proud to be there for you and whoever you define your family to be.
Our seven founding Fundamental Principles guide our services, and among them are:
- Humanity: We “ensure respect for the human being.”
- Impartiality: We are impartial to any “nationality, race, religious belief, class or political opinion.”
- Neutrality: We “may not take sides…in controversies of political, racial, religious or ideological nature.”
- Independence: We “must always maintain…autonomy,” so we are completely separate from the government.
We are there for your family in emergencies and disasters 24/7. Because of our network of 500+ chapters and presence on 50+ military installations across the world, the American Red Cross is the only organization trusted by the US government and military to provide emergency communication services between service members and their families. You can call the Red Cross Emergency Communication Center anytime at (877) 272-7337 to get information to a stationed or deployed service member about family births, illnesses, deaths or other emergencies.
We also provide other support for service member families, such as:
- Pre-deployment family preparedness
- “Coping with Deployments” course(online and in-person)
- Reconnection Workshopsto help ease the transition home
- Financial assistancein some emergency cases
- Information and referral services
- Job training for easily transferable careers, such as Nurse Assistant Training
- Assisting veterans
During a disaster, the Red Cross is also there for you and your family. All families facing disaster have access to Red Cross food, supplies and comfort, and all are welcomed in our shelters. In the aftermath of a disaster, a Red Cross worker will meet with you and your family to talk you through your personalized steps to recovery.
We can also help reunite families through our Safe & Well system domestically and through our Restoring Family Links program internationally. We also can help your family prepare for disasters or other emergencies through checklists, CPR/AED/First Aid training, and babysitting and caregiver courses.