Part B: The Australian Red Cross

1. What role does the Red Cross play in helping the community?

The Australian Red Cross provide 60 community service groups across Australia. The community groups run by the Red Cross provide support and products to disadvantaged or members of the community in need. Members of the Red cross work to improve the quality of life of people in Australia and internationally. By mobilising the power of humanity, human suffering and mistreatment is improved in struggling countries. The Red Cross’s main purpose is to protect the lives and health of people in vulnerable environments and circumstances. The promotion of friendship, mutual understanding and co-operation, improves the relationships between people and restores fair treatment.

2. How does the Red Cross go about doing this?

The Australian Red Cross provides community services to focus on the health, well-being and safety of community members. Red Cross provide community services such as blood transfusion, organ transplants, emergency disaster services, breakfast club, education for all ages, youth guidance and life coaching, immigration assistance and many more services. Paid members of the Red Cross work in co-ordinating programs nationally and internationally. They mainly work in blood and organ donations, ensuring those in need are treated.

A large percentage of the Red Cross is assisted by volunteer workers. Volunteers assist in running free community services such as breakfast club and services for the homeless. Some volunteers become International missionaries, traveling overseas to help in natural and manmade disasters providing essential services such as clothing, shelter, food and water. Volunteers assist in door knocking and visiting workplaces on the 8th of May for ‘World Red Cross Day’.

3. Why do you personally feel that the work of the Red Cross is so important to the community?

The Red Cross organisation provides community services which benefit those in need. Essential services and programs are developed to treat and assist people with a poor quality of life through their poor environments and situations. The Red cross focus on improving the lives of those in a lower, disadvantaged class to the majority of the population, for example, the homeless. The homeless are faced with many dangerous, unethical issues in th

eir daily situations. The Red Cross assists this group of people in many ways focusing on rebuilding their lives and providing essential services to improve their living conditions. This focus helps decrease the source of future problems. The most important work which the Red Cross does is providing support to people affected by natural and man-made disasters. By providing food, clothing and housing to people affected, the Red Cross supports the source of the disaster improving temporary living conditions.

4. Where does the organisation receive its funding from?

The Red Cross mainly receives its funding from the support of people through donations. Donations can be received monthly, organised fundraisers and appeals. The Red Cross is also sponsored by many local, national and international businesses. Sponsors are able to support particular programs which they feel are most important or support to all programs and developments. The Red Cross has also developed online shopping and stores, selling secondhand clothing and products. Funds made from these stores are given to the organisation.

5. How can a person help the Red Cross continue to do the work it does?

Becoming a member or volunteer is the most effective way a person can continue supporting the Red Cross. Becoming a member of the Red Cross ensures full or part-time paid employment. Members work in co-ordinating services and programs nationally and internationally. This could be considered as one of the most rewarding employment, working with those in immediate need. Work is mainly in serious areas such as assistance in disaster areas, organisation of blood and organ donations and professional treatment (guidance and life coaching).

Volunteering for the Red Cross can also be a very rewarding way to support. Volunteers assist in running community services focusing on the needs of those in the community. The services such as breakfast club, services for the homeless and street safety. Issues that source the main problems in today’s communities are focused on by volunteers. Volunteers also help manage the Red Cross stores in Australia through work and management of income.

6. Aside from monetary donations, in what other ways can an individual contribute?

The Red Cross can be supported in more aspects then only donations:

• online shopping
• purchases from Red Cross stores
• workplace giving
• business partnerships
• becoming a blood doner
• becoming a volunteer
• participating in ‘World Red Cross Day’
• volunteering at Red Cross Stores

7. What skill might a person learn from Volunteering at the Red Cross?

A range of skills can be gaining through volunteering at the Red Cross:

• showing empathy
• communication
• first aid
• problem solving
• independence
• basic first aid training
• commitment

8. Could any of these skills be transferred to any paid employment which could be seeked?

- Communication:

Working with people facing issues regarding lifestyle- social working, counseling, life coaching

- Basic first aid training:

treating minor injuries, cuts and bruises- paramedic, first aid teacher, school nurse