In
1884, six children put on a play that raised $50 that they donated to the then
three-year-old American Red Cross. Red
Cross founder Clara Barton used the money to aid a family affected by severe
Midwestern floods.
Students
became involved for the first time in a war effort in 1898, when they helped
provide medical support and comfort to American soldiers and their families
during and after the Spanish-American War.
The Junior Red
Cross
World
War I inspired an official organization for young people: the American Junior
Red Cross. Students knit scarves, rolled bandages and built furniture for
hospitals and convalescent homes. They
prepared and sent Friendship Boxes containing school and personal items to
students overseas. They worked in
Victory Gardens (vegetable gardens that added to the nation's food supply) and
raised funds. In fact, Junior Red Cross
members contributed an amazing $3,677,380 to the Red Cross during the war. During World War II, Junior Red Cross
membership grew to almost 20.
Today’s Youth and Young Adult
Program
Thousands
of civic-minded youth help us fulfill our humanitarian mission. Local community clubs and Red Cross School
Clubs provide opportunities for leadership development, community service and
training in life-saving skills.
Young
Red Cross volunteers and the work they accomplish are as diverse as the U.S.
population. They are:
n middle school students educating fellow
students about disaster preparedness;n high school students raising funds to vaccinate children in third-world countries;
n athletes organizing blood drives on college campuses; and
n they are nursing students training to serve in community disaster shelters.
Every
day, youth make a difference in their community through their work with the
American Red Cross. Join our efforts.
To find out how you can become a young
humanitarian working with the Vermont & the New Hampshire Upper Valley
American Red Cross, contact Angela Russell at (802) 660-9130, ext. 107 or angela.russell@redcross.org.
