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American Red Cross Analysis

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“Approximately 60% of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, only 5% do in a given year, according to the American Red Cross.” A common misconception about the American Red Cross is that it is a government agency, but it is not; it is a volunteer organization that thrives off of generous donations and volunteers. Clara Barton played a major role in starting the American Red Cross in America and without her, we wouldn’t have a volunteer organization, blood donation program, disaster program, and lifesaving training programs devoted to helping people worldwide in times of need.
Clarissa Harlowe Barton, Clara, was one of the first women to gain employment in the United States federal government. During the Civil War, Clara risked her life …show more content…

In 1877, Clara brought the treaty to President Rutherford B. Hayes. Hayes rejected it. Clara was not going to give up, she then brought it to the attention of President James A. Garfield, and he was killed before he could ratify it. President Chester A. Arthur finally signed the treaty in 1882. When the American Red Cross was established in the year 1882, it was privately funded and relied on its volunteers. The American Red Cross is also a part of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Red Cross (2015) website states, “All Red Cross and Red Crescent activities have one central purpose: to help those who suffer, without discrimination, whether during conflict, in response to natural or man-made disasters, or due to conditions of chronic poverty.” By the year 1911, the American Red Cross earned the title “Official volunteer aid department of the United States.”
Once WWI started, the Red Cross saw a major growth. According to the History Channel (2015), “by the end of World War I, over 20 million adults and 11 million children had joined.” The public had also raised and donated more than 400 million dollars in funds and

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