Introduction
The Red Cross has been in existence since 1981. The headquarters is in Washington, Dc. This is a humanitarian aid entity that provides education, Emergency relief, and emergency assistance to people across the world. The Red Cross is a volunteer based organization that provides assistance to needy people. The American national Red Cross operates in the United States of America. The American Red Cross also provides services in blood distribution, processing and collection, community services, educational services on safety, health and preparedness just to name a few. The Red Cross assists approximately 67,000 people every year and works hand in hand with 175 other relief agencies globally (McKenzie et al, 2011, p. 52).
The experience of my sister with the Red Cross
There was a fatal accident that claimed several lives on 26th December last year. This incidence was along the Amsterdam Avenue in New York. The accident was a head on coalition between two public service vehicles. My sister was among the survivors and got admission at the New York Presbyterian hospital. She was in urgent need of blood because of excessive bleeding. Unfortunately, her blood group is O which is rare. The American Red Cross stepped in by providing the blood from their bank. This assistance from the Red Cross was vital in the survival of my only sister. I always remember the Red Cross society for their quick intervention in saving the life of my sister.
Skills required for a Red Cross volunteer
The Red Cross is a volunteer based organization. There are several skills that a person requires in order to work with the Red Cross society. These skills go hand in hand with the job description. The first skill that is vital for this volunteer job is communication. This is because the volunteer interacts with several needy people in the course of work. The volunteer should be able to communicate well verbally and non-verbally. The reason is that some needy people may be unable to express themselves. The volunteer should be able to understand sign language to help him serve this category of individuals. The ability to communicate effectively is vital for Red Cross employees (Baristain, 2006, p. 118).
Another thing people in an emergency condition require is a person who can listen to them. They need someone to share with their experiences. The Red Cross volunteers should have excellent listening skills in order to serve the community better. Needy people require a person to share with their experiences. They tend to recover fast when they get a person who listens to them. The Red Cross volunteer should be acquainted with all the requirements of a good listener. The Red Cross serves people with diverse cultural backgrounds. The volunteer needs to understand all the behavioral styles. This helps him to come up with strategies of handling each behavior (Oxfam, 2000, p. 17).
Comparison between Red Cross and other service organizations
Most humanitarian organizations focus on providing disaster relief to people in need. However, Red Cross has gone a step higher by providing services in five other areas. The first area that Red Cross focuses on is comfort and communication services for the military. They offer these services to the military and their family members. The Red Cross also takes part in the distribution, processing and collection of blood and its products. This helps people in urgent need of blood like accident victims.
The Red Cross also offers educational programs to the community. These are training programs in safety, healthy and preparedness. Most of these programs are free of charge. The Red Cross also offers development and international relief programs. This organization offers community service to needy people globally. The Red Cross offers a wide range of services in comparison with other humanitarian service provides. The Red Cross is the biggest humanitarian service provider with more than 30,000 employees and trains over 12 million people annually in America.
Red Cross is an excellent organization to work for because of the wide range of Services they provide. This is because it does not limit workers to one line of humanitarian service provision. Working with the Red Cross exposes the employee to different skills that are vital for career development. Red Cross operates globally and gives employees a high opportunity of career growth. Because of the advantages of working for Red Cross, I can work with the organization if given the opportunity.
Conclusion
Red Cross is a humanitarian and none profit making organization. This essay focuses on the experience my sister had with Red Cross. She had a fatal road accident and Red Cross saved her life by supplying her with blood. This essay also looks at the skills an individual requires in order to be a volunteer with the Red Cross. Because of the nature of the work, a person requires excellent communication and listening skills. This essay finally looks at the difference between Red Cross and other humanitarian service providers. I can work with Red Cross because of the wide range of services they provide.
References
Baristain, C.M. (2006). Humanitarian aid work: A critical approach. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania press. Web.
McKenzie, J.F., Pinger, R.R. & Kotecki, J.E. (2011). An introduction to community health. London: Jones and Berlet Learning, LLC. Web.
Oxfam, K.D. (2000). Listening to the displaced: Action Research in the conflict zones of Sri Lanka. Oxfam: Oxfam GB. Web.