The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that is nationally-renowned for emergency response. In addition to supporting the victims or natural disasters, it also provides care to war victims. All of its services aim to prevent and alleviate suffering. The Red Cross depends on donations to survive. Monetary contributions, as well as time and blood donations, are always needed.

Contact your local Red Cross office. These folks will educate you on the specific opportunities in your area. If you would like to travel to serve, they will also help you find prospective opportunities across the nation.

Part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, The American Red Cross is the nation’s highest profile humanitarian organization, with a long record of protecting human life in every sort of emergency and international conflict. The organization reorganized following difficulties in its response to Hurricane Katrina and is highly rated by the Charity Navigator website. The Red Cross has 30,000 staff and over a million volunteers serving its 800 chapters in the U.S.

The Red Cross sponsors many kinds of charity drives, and winter clothing drives rank as one of the most important yearly charity functions for many companies and schools. Winter clothing drives take place between Thanksgiving and Christmas and Red Cross volunteers usually organize most of the details. Sometimes, company representatives simply gather winter clothes from employees and deliver them to the Red Cross.