When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, and health and mental health services to address basic human needs. In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross disaster relief activities is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster. This assistance enables victims of disasters to resume living independently by providing the means to pay for what they need most, such as groceries, new clothing, temporary housing, emergency home repairs, transportation, basic household items, medicines, and occupational tools. The Red Cross also helps those needing long-term recovery assistance when all other resources, such as insurance benefits and government assistance, are not available or are inadequate. The Red Cross also feeds families and emergency workers, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, provides blood and blood products to disaster victims, and helps those affected by disaster to find other available resources.
All assistance given on an individual basis is based on verified disaster-caused needs.
All Red Cross disaster relief is provided free of charge as a gift from the American people. It is made possible by generous contributions of people's time, money, and skills. A disaster response plan identifies what it will take to respond to various disasters, what resources are needed, and how they will be coordinated and used. As part of the planning process, Red Cross chapters also practice by participating in drills and exercises. Such planning enables chapters to respond efficiently and effectively.