Since the founding of the Junior Red Cross in 1917, youth and the American Red Cross have been partners.
American Red Cross youth volunteers around the country have national representation in the form of the American Red Cross National Youth Council. To learn more about the Council and how to join visit: American Red Cross National Youth Council .
Today, the involvement of young people with the American Red Cross is more important than ever. The American Red Cross currently engages over 169,000 youth and young adults with meaningful opportunities for education, training, and volunteer/community service so that we remain a part of the American Red Cross family throughout our lives.
If you are a college graduate but still young at heart, visit our Young Professionals page to learn how you can help the American Red Cross.
Join the movement! Become a volunteer!
Leadership Development
We participate in clubs, councils, and local boards, as well as in leadership development camps or centers and on national Red Cross advisory and policy-making groups.
Health and Safety Services
In Red Cross babysitter training, first aid, CPR, aquatics, and water safety classes, we are educated about leading healthier, safer lives as well as being trained to serve as instructors, lifeguards, and peer educators.
Biomedical Services
If age 16 or older (depending on the state), we donate blood. We help with blood drives by recruiting donors, arranging appointments, acting as escorts, and serving refreshments. We also assist with tissue and organ donor recruitment.
School-Related Activities
We fundraise, organize blood drives, provide international assistance, and learn about issues like disaster preparedness and HIV/AIDS prevention and education.
International Services
We assist other countries by assembling Red Cross school chests, raising awareness and funds for vaccination campaigns, and by learning about international humanitarian law and its implications worldwide.
Service to the Armed Forces
We provide volunteer service to help thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected.
Community Services
Mission related community activities can include cleaning up streets, planting trees, and organizing food drives. We also serve as mentors to peers and younger youth on substance abuse prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, environmental awareness, violence prevention, and other major youth issues.
Disaster Response
We are trained to become involved in many areas of Red Cross Disaster Services, including community disaster education, disaster preparation in our local community, and disaster response through Red Cross disaster action teams and youth disaster corps.
