When you think of the Red Cross, you probably think of disaster response.

While the Alexandria Red Cross responds to many local disasters each year, we are also active in the community in many other ways. The Alexandria Red Cross provides emergency communication and support to the Armed Forces, senior services, first aid at community events, youth education and more. Each of our services to the community is rooted in our mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Deployment, frequent relocation and separation from family for extended time periods, may create special challenges for military members and their loved ones back home.

The American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) program helps ease the stress unique to members of the armed forces and their families, by providing humanitarian and financial assistance, as well as emergency communications.

With personnel on-site at more than 200 military installations worldwide, the American Red Cross serves as a link between members of the armed forces and their families. The Red Cross communicates vital information about family emergencies such as illnesses, deaths and births.

These messages help military personnel make decisions about leave, deferment, compassionate reassignment and dependency discharge.

The Red Cross offers social services, referrals and counseling during these emergencies, as well as financial assistance, such as grants or interest-free loans to support emergency travel, burials and health or welfare needs.

Red Cross disaster relief starts at the community level. Volunteers are on-call 24 hours a day, every day, to assist individuals affected by disaster in Alexandria. Disasters of any size create immediate needs for those who are affected. Red Cross volunteers meet with the individuals and families who are affected by disaster (clients) and provide immediate assistance for food, clothing, shelter and emotional or physical health care if needed.

The Red Cross provides a way for clients to purchase the items they need using a Client Assistance Card. These are debit cards that can be used at grocery stores, general merchandise stores and other retailers throughout the community. Client Assistance Cards allow clients to select and purchase clothing and groceries, based on their needs and tastes. This provides a way for clients to feel a sense of control returning to their lives.

Once immediate needs have been met, Red Cross volunteers continue to work with each client to help them get on the road to recovery.

The American Red Cross works with a global network of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society staff and volunteers to restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. The international Red Cross movement brings emergency relief to disaster victims and improves basic living conditions of chronically deprived areas of the world. Guided by our seven Fundamental Principals - Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality - the American Red Cross partners with countless organizations in the effective relief of human suffering and the empowerment of people with the skills they need to help themselves.

Based on the needs of the world's most vulnerable people and the organization's responsibility and capacity to provide humanitarian assistance, the American Red Cross has developed six areas of expertise:

1. Emergency Disaster Response
2. Primary Health Care Programs
3. Food Programming
4. Tracing and Red Cross Messages
5. Dissemination of International Humanitarian Law
6. Holocaust & War Victims Tracing

Check out the American Red Cross International Services Page.

The Alexandria Red Cross provides CPR, first aid and, AED training to the community. Each year, the Chapter trains over 5000 individuals and businesses. To sign up for training click here.

The Friendly Visitors Program of the Alexandria Red Cross matches socially isolated seniors with volunteers who have similar interests. These carefully screened companions visit seniors at home and provide opportunities for social interaction, which are crucial to the health and general well being of any person.

The Alexandria Red Cross extends outreach to groups of seniors at Ladrey and Annie B. Rose Houses and the City of Alexandria's housing for low-income elderly, with exercise and art classes, movie nights, shopping trips and other activities to enhance quality of life. The Chapter responds to seniors' needs by providing wheelchairs, beds and other medical equipment and household items. Each year the Senior Services Program provides more than 11,500 services to seniors in the City of Alexandria.

Young people have played a vital role in the Red Cross since 1917, when the Junior Red Cross was formed. At that time, members of the Junior Red Cross spent most of their time rolling bandages for Red Cross hospitals. Now, young people come to the Red Cross to learn first aid and CPR, to help teach others how to prepare for disasters and to help spread the word about community preparedness.

The Alexandria Red Cross span a variety of age groups and teach a range of life-saving, safety, health and prevention lessons. Most importantly, each program demonstrates to our youth that everyone has the capacity to serve, and in so doing, has the ability to change the world for the better. The Alexandria Red Cross is proud to introduce YES Teams! Youth Engaged in Service Teams are comprised of high school and middle school students from the city of Alexandria who are interested in working to improve their community, while making friends and having fun.