Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting the immediate emergency needs of the people affected by disaster. 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. In addition, we handle inquires from concerned family members outside of the disaster area and help those affected by disaster to find other available resources. The Red Cross also helps those in need of long-term recovery assistance when all other resources, such as insurance benefits and government assistance, are not available or are inadequate to complete the recovery process.
All assistance is given on an individual basis and is based on the verified disaster-related needs.
All Red Cross disaster relief assistance 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. News of Interest Tornado season is now upon us. Historically, this is a very active time of year for the American Red Cross. We not only help people after they have been affected by a disaster, we try to help them prepare for it well in advance.