|
Background
Since the founding of the Junior Red Cross in 1917,
youth and the Red Cross have been partners. Today, the involvement of
young people with the Red Cross is more important than ever. Our goal
is to provide young people with meaningful opportunities for education,
training, and volunteer/community service so that they remain a part of
the Red Cross family throughout their lives. Young people up to age 24
make up 30 percent of all Red Cross volunteers.
Disaster Services
Young people are trained to become involved in many areas of Red Cross
Disaster Services, including community disaster education, disaster
preparation in their local community, and disaster response through Red
Cross disaster action teams and youth disaster corps.
International Services
Young people learn about other cultures by assembling Red Cross school
chests and by learning about international humanitarian law and its
implications worldwide.
Health and Safety Services
In Red Cross HIV/AIDS education, first aid, CPR, aquatics, and water
safety classes, young people are being educated about leading
healthier, safer lives as well as being trained to serve as
instructors, lifeguards, and peer educators.
Armed Forces Emergency Services
Young people provide volunteer service to the Armed Forces community in
clinics, hospitals, and medical centers on military installations
around the world, and at VA hospitals.
Biomedical Services
Young adults ages 17 and older, donate blood. Red Cross youth
volunteers help with blood drives by recruiting donors, arranging
appointments, acting as escorts, and serving refreshments. Young people
also assist with tissue and organ donor recruitment.
Other Youth Opportunities
Young people are involved in other areas of the American Red Cross.
There are opportunities that are related to school and college and
Internships, as well as openings in Leadership Development and
Community Services.
·
School-Related
Activities
Fund raising, organizing blood drives, providing international
assistance, and learning about such things as disaster preparedness and
HIV/AIDS prevention and education.
·
Leadership
Development
Participating in clubs, councils, and local boards as well as in
leadership development camps or centers and on national Red Cross
advisory and policy-making groups.
Community Services
Community activities can include cleaning up streets, planting trees,
and organizing food drives. Young people also serve as mentors to peers
and younger youth on substance abuse prevention, teen pregnancy
prevention, environmental awareness, violence prevention, and other
major youth issues.
|
