Disaster Services
Always there when you need us.
Ask the average person about the Red Cross and chances are they will mention disasters like hurricanes and floods. But the majority of the disasters the Central Illinois Chapter responds to are house fires, floods and tornadoes, which affect families here. Each year, the Red Cross helps hundreds of local families with their immediate needs
At a scene, Red Cross volunteers work side-by-side with firefighters and other emergency personnel to ensure victims are given immediate relief. Immediate relief means getting them what they need most without waiting a day or more -- food, lodging, clothing, medication replacement, and mental health counseling. In the days following a disaster, the Red Cross continues to work with families while they find ways to rebuild their lives.
All Red Cross disaster assistance is a free gift, made possible by the generous hearts of the people in Central Illinois.
For more information on Red Cross Disaster Services and to get help, please click here.
How we help
In their own words
Our volunteers describe the powerful process of helping to get victims of disaster on the road to a successful recovery.
Military Services
With the American Red Cross you are never out of touch … around the clock …around the world.
The American Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces (SAF) links military families separated by conflict and tours of duty. Each year, we deliver more than 1.4 million emergency messages to military installations and family residences around the world each year.
The American Red Cross has been delivering emergency messages for military members since the Spanish-American War. The Armed Forces rely on the American Red Cross for messages of births, as well as solemn news of family illnesses or deaths. The American Red Cross sends messages quickly, anywhere in the world, including to ships at sea, embassies and isolated military units.
The American Red Cross provides the following services for the Armed Forces:
- Emergency Communications: Keeping military personnel in touch with their families during family emergencies such as death, serious illness or the birth of a child. American Red Cross emergency messages provide military personnel and their commanders with fast, reliable information to help them make decisions about emergency leave, deferment, compassionate reassignment, and hardship discharge.
- Financial Assistance: The American Red Cross verifies the need for financial assistance when an urgent personal or family crisis arises – that is, when you might need financial assistance for emergency travel, burial of a loved one, or urgent health and welfare needs such as food and shelter.
- Counseling: Providing counseling, information, referrals and other social services to military families. This role is becoming increasingly important as more community based military, such as National Guard and Reserves are called to active duty.
For more information on Red Cross Military Services and how to access help, please click here.
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Testimonial - Military Services
Red Cross Military Services in Action
Diane Montoya received assistance from the Red Cross in getting her son, who was in the military, home to be with his father who was very ill.
International Services
What we do.
American Red Cross International Services helps vulnerable people and communities around the world prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and health emergencies by mobilizing the power of the world's largest humanitarian network, made up of 186 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies and more than 97 million volunteers. In all our work, we abide by the seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
For more information about what the Red Cross does around the world, please click here.
Red Cross around the world
People in Need
An overview of the work of the Red Cross all over the globe.