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With 15 Greater Houston area locations, the Houston Red Cross is ready to help.

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FAQ's

Getting Started

When do you have volunteer orientations?  We offer three orientations per month, each geared to meet the scheduling needs of different people.  Generally, our orientations are on the second Saturday of each month at 10am, the third Thursday of each month at 6pm, and the fourth Wednesday of each month at 10am.

Orientation registration

What is covered in a volunteer orientation? What is the definition of a volunteer?
A Red Cross volunteer is an individual who, beyond the responsibilities of paid employment, freely assists the American Red Cross in the accomplishment of its mission without expectation or receipt of compensation.

What is the Mission of the American Red Cross?
The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and people, guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

What important Red Cross efforts do volunteers help with?
Each year the American Red Cross mobilizes relief to victims of more than 60,000 disasters nationwide and has been the major supplier of blood and blood products in the United States for over 50 years. The American Red Cross also trains more than 11 million people in vital life saving skills, provides direct health services to 1.8 million people; provides more than 22 million locally relevant community services, assists international disaster and conflict victims in more than 50 countries, and transmits more than 500,000 emergency messages between members of the U. S. Armed Forces and their families.

How many volunteers work at the Red Cross?
Over 1.2 million people volunteered for the American Red Cross in FY2002. Ninety-seven percent of American Red Cross staff are volunteers. Adults over 25 comprise about 66% of Red Cross volunteers, while youth and young adults make up about 34%.


How do I get involved?
Volunteer Match http://www.volunteermatch.org
More than 200 local American Red Cross units list volunteer opportunities on the VolunteerMatch website. VolunteerMatch, the organization's premier service, utilizes the power of the Internet to help individuals nationwide find volunteer opportunities posted by local nonprofit and public sector organizations.

VolunteerMatch's powerful online database allows volunteers to search thousands of one-time and ongoing opportunities by zip code, category, and date. Then signup automatically by email for those that fit their interest and schedule. Contributing organizations post their own opportunities, giving volunteers easy access to an accurate and diverse source of activities.