The Red Cross

Ranked as the fifth most successful non-profit organization of 2012, the American Red Cross saves the lives of people every single day all across the globe (“Top”). They provide services such as disaster relief, support for America’s military families, health and safety training and certification, lifesaving blood, and international services. Supplying over 40% of blood and the blood products in the U.S., the Red Cross plays a critical role in the nation’s healthcare system. Without their incredible organizational structure, motivated employees, and dedicated volunteers, the Red Cross would not be anywhere near as successful as it is today and would not have been able to save as many lives as it has. Following the civil war, in 1881, visionary leader Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross (American Red Cross). She started the organization in order to provide aide and support for the military as well as their families and relief work internationally. Barton saw needs and she wanted to meet them. The American Red Cross has played a significant role in World War I and World War II. During World War II, the Red Cross enrolled over 104,000 nurses for military services, provided over 27 million packages for American and Allied prisoners of war, and supplied more than 13.3 million pints of blood to be used for the armed forces (American Red Cross). Although the American Red Cross has hundreds of employees, the organization relies heavily on their volunteers. Redcross.org states, “Volunteers constitute for 94% of the total workforce to carry out our humanitarian work.” The types and duties of volunteers range extensively from being a blood drive volunteer to being an advocate. With over 1.2 million volunteers, instant relief can be received in crises or disasters (Grabianowski). The American Red Cross has been a life-saving force in many of the United States’ most devastating times including the recent explosions during the Boston Marathon, the Texas