American Red Cross

American Red Cross—Through nearly 700 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. People connect with the American Red Cross hoping to change a life, and in the process, change their own lives. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to their neighbors, both familiar and new—the more than half a million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Some four million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. And the Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 186 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. For more information, visit www.redcross.org.