When people think about the Red Cross, they generally think of only one thing at a time. Like Blood donations, or disaster relief. But we do SO MUCH MORE than that.
Here are our top 4 least known, but not least important programs:
Some of our Youth get ready for SafeRides
1. Non Emergency Medical Transportation for elderly and low income patients.
We take people who would otherwise have great difficulties getting to their medical appointments over the hill to hospitals such as the VA, Stanford and UCSF. This service is the only lifeline for many of our clients. The service is free and the program is funded entirely by donations.
2. Service to the Armed Forces and their families
One of our oldest service lines is our service to the armed forces. We help deliver emergency messages to military members abroad and offer the families services such as counseling, financial aid, and more. In the event of a family emergency, we help bring military members home to be with their families.
Visiting Troops in the Hospital
Thanks to our Youth Services Manager, Katie Radvanyi, we have a flourishing Youth Services Department. The department helps high school and college students create and implement youth run programs including events for the Measles Initiative and Safe Rides for Teens, a program offering rides home to youth who find themselves in a dangerous situation. In the past, Youth Services has done programs such as Operation: Care and Comfort, which sent donated items to military oversees. Youth Services even has its own core of disaster services volunteers who are learning how to work in a Red Cross shelter.
The Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center is a national clearinghouse for persons seeking the fates of loved ones
The Bay Area Red Cross Chapter helped Rosa (Pictured) find out what happened to her parents and baby brother during WWII
missing since the Holocaust and its aftermath. It assists U.S. residents searching for proof of internment, forced/slave labor, or evacuation from former Soviet territories on themselves or family members.
- All tracing services are free of charge.
- They use the worldwide network of more than 180 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and the Magen David Adom in Israel.
- They also consult museums, archives, and international organizations to further facilitate tracing requests.
- Cases remain open, and if new information becomes available, it is immediately shared with the inquirer.
As a chapter, we facilitate communications between this important branch of the Red Cross and people who may need the service in our area.
See anything you’re interested in? There are volunteer opportunities! Shoot us an email at volunteer@sccredcross.org
