service to the armed forces mid-year impact report to the armed forces mid-year impact report july...

Service to the Armed ForcesMid-Year Impact ReportJuly to December 2011

MissionThe American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by

mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

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Service to the Armed Forces Mid-Year Impact Report July to December 2011

A Legacy of CompassionFor more than 130 years, the American Red Cross has provided critical assistance and resources to service members, veterans and their families through its Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) program. With 11,000 employees and volunteers supporting SAF, the Red Cross creates a web of support across the country and around the world, providing assistance wherever it is needed—at home, on military installations and alongside deployed service members in Afghanistan, Kuwait and the Horn of Africa.

The foundation of our work stems from our 1905 Congressional Charter, which issues this call to the American Red Cross: “To provide volunteer aid in time of war to the sick and wounded of the Armed Forces…”

As the organization that has served America’s military families for the longest period of time, the Red Cross has the experience to offer unwavering assistance throughout a military member’s course of service, and after. The Red Cross provides this humanitarian service whenever it is needed, from the service member’s enlistment, through active duty, and beyond.

Enlistment—How the Red Cross HelpsGet to Know Us Before You Need UsAt enlistment, many new military families know very little about American Red Cross programs and services that are available to them. For them, the Red Cross may only mean donating blood, responding to a disaster or learning CPR. These are important missions, but it’s critical to know from the beginning of military service what the Red Cross offers.

Get to Know Us Before You Need Us, the premier SAF briefing program, ensures that military families are aware of the wide range of opportunities, resources and assistance available through the Red Cross. The Red Cross provides these briefings to service members and their families on military installations and in local communities to reach all segments of the military population (all service branches; active duty, Reserve and National Guard).

>> From July 2010 to June 2011, more than 1.5 million people received a Get to Know Us Before You Need Us briefing.

“To provide volunteer aid in time

of war to the sick and wounded

of the Armed Forces…”

To provide humanitarian support

to service members, veterans and

their families around the clock,

around the globe, under

a trusted symbol.

Service to the Armed Forces Mission Statement

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Volunteer EngagementMany service members and military spouses begin volunteering early in their military career. Red Cross volunteer opportunities provide a door into what may seem like a very closed community. In addition, volunteers can gain valuable skills, which might help them get a paid job later. There are as many reasons for volunteering as there are volunteers.

SAF volunteers help provide a variety of programs. Many take on traditional Red Cross volunteer jobs, such as Health and Safety instructors, office assistants, briefers and disaster workers, and emergency services caseworkers. On military installations, the Red Cross places many volunteers throughout the community to assist in libraries, clinics and hospitals, and other community resources.

>> From July to December, Service to the Armed Forces recruited more than 3,700 new volunteers.

“ As a Red Cross volunteer, I love the fact that I’m able to help others through rough situations; something they wouldn’t be able to handle on their own.”

— Angie Wolcow, nine-year volunteer, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

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Active Service—Building Family ResiliencyToday’s military members are facing repeated deployments to conflict zones around the world. After their deployment ends, many realize that the return home might not go as smoothly as expected.

To help bridge the gap, the Red Cross has programs, training opportunities and services available for military members and their families in every phase of a military career. In addition to traditional Preparedness, Health and Safety training, two unique programs, Coping With Deployments and Reconnection Workshops, Presented by Walmart, address the challenges military families face during and after a deployment.

Coping With DeploymentsThe Red Cross wants to ensure that family members are prepared to deal with the challenges that can arise while their spouse or loved one is deployed. And knowing that his or her family is prepared helps a service member to focus on their mission.

The Red Cross course Coping With Deployments: Psychological First Aid for Military Families was designed to help military families manage the changes in their lives. It provides useful information on how to build resilience and the ability to respond to the challenges encountered throughout the deployment cycle. It also explains how to provide psychological first aid to others who are experiencing stressful feelings or events. It includes an adult section, a section about helping children and a comprehensive resource and referral section.

In the first half of this fiscal year, the American Red Cross has—

Provided Coping With Deployments training to 412 people;

Debuted the Reconnection Workshops, Presented by Walmart, with 80 participants to date;

Provided critical lifesaving training in CPR, first aid and water safety on overseas military installations to 23,851 military and family members; and

Coordinated job certification training for more than 120 family members to become nurse assistants or dental assistants.

>> From July to December, more than 400 individuals participated in Coping With Deployments training.

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Reconnection Workshops, Presented by Walmart

Through the generous support of the Walmart Foundation, the Red Cross has successfully launched a new series of interactive workshops. These focus on topics that military families have found relevant to transitioning home after a deployment:

• Communicating Clearly

• Exploring Stress and Trauma

• Identifying Depression

• Relating to Children

• Working Through Anger

Actively licensed and specially trained Red Cross mental health volunteers facilitate all sessions, and class size is limited to a maximum of 20 people.

>> From July to December, 80 people participated in Reconnection Workshops, Presented by Walmart.

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Active Service—Serving the Sick and WoundedA military career is often filled with challenges and hazards. When service members are sick or injured, they can count on Red Cross volunteers to provide an array of services and material assistance programs to help ensure a speedy recovery.

Volunteer OpportunitiesThe Red Cross places volunteers in hundreds of military hospitals, clinics and Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Volunteer positions are available to fit a variety of interests—from behind-the-scenes pharmacy workers to art therapy teachers. Some of our most popular volunteers aren’t even human! There are currently 200 registered canine volunteers in military hospitals around the world, providing unconditional love and psychological healing to wounded service members.

Hospital ProgramsInjured service members deserve the best available care. The Red Cross provides services in military and VA hospitals, supplementing traditional hospital care with material assistance and morale and therapy programs to raise patient spirits and encourage healing.

The Red Cross, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and other partners, provides comfort items such as toiletries, small games, snacks and calling cards to wounded service members. In addition, more specialized items such as Nintendo Wiis can be purchased to help amputees improve motor skills in their remaining limbs.

Red Cross hospital programs also provide other forms of therapy. The programs that are available differ greatly by location and by patient interest, and are often based on locally available resources. In some locations, amputee patients may be challenged by SCUBA lessons in a local pool; for other patients, art therapy allows them to express emotions that may be preventing their return to full health.

In September, the American Red Cross and the Wounded Warrior Project announced a strategic partnership to increase the impact of both organizations on injured and ill service members.

>> More than 5,000 people and 200 dogs volunteer each month in a military treatment facility through the American Red Cross.

At a Glance – July to December 2011

Rehabilitation and morale programs 12,000 individuals served

Material assistance distributed 130,000 items

Pet therapy programs More than 200 canine volunteers

Visits to the wounded in deployed locations More than 800 service members visited

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Active Service—Emergency ServicesWhen News Can’t WaitEmergencies can strike a family at any time, and the military family is not immune while a service member is deployed or away on a long-term assignment. Bad news can’t always wait until the next phone call home.

When a family needs to notify a service member of a death, illness or other emergency, they turn to the American Red Cross. By placing a call to the Service to the Armed Forces Call Center or their local Red Cross, the family receives immediate and compassionate assistance.

A Red Cross worker obtains information from the family about the service member (name, rank, location) and about the emergency, such as where a death occurred. After receiving this basic information, the Red Cross worker reaches out to the verifying authority to obtain the necessary information, such as the type and severity of an illness or the date of a death. Emergency messages are then delivered, either directly to the service member or to an authorized person in his or her command to complete the notification.

Because American Red Cross Emergency Communications are impartial, both the service member and his or her command can be confident that the information is timely, factual and accurate. This information is often used to determine whether emergency leave is required.

In the first half of this fiscal year, more than 65,000 cases were completed.

Emergency Financial AssistanceIn these challenging times, any family can encounter unexpected financial hardship. The American Red Cross, in partnership with the Military Aid Societies, provides immediate access to funds for emergency travel, food, rent, vehicle repairs, etc.

Because no funds are disbursed to a family member without the concurrence of the military member, an emergency message is used to notify the service member of the situation. A reply is then sent advising whether the service member concurs with the loan or grant.

Saving LivesDepression and feelings of helplessness do not discriminate. In spite of resiliency training, any service member, regardless of rank or branch of service, may feel that there is only one way out of the stress of military life. Emergency Services staff react immediately upon notification from a family member or other concerned individual to ensure that the appropriate military resources are made available to prevent a death and provide appropriate counseling if the situation warrants.

>> From July to December, the American Red Cross intervened in 232 situations involving the threat of self-harm or suicide.

Emergency Call Center

The Service to the Armed Forces Call Center, with help from chapters and stations around the world, assists families with emergencies 24 hours a day.

From July to December, the Call Center—

Received more than 230,000 phone calls and placed more than 344,000 calls;

Created more than 65,000 cases; and

Provided financial assistance to more than 2,800 families.

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Life After the Military—Service to VeteransAfter separating from the military, the service member and his or her family may be confused about the benefits still available to them. The adjustment to civilian life may prove to be difficult, but the Red Cross continues to provide support even after military service is complete.

Where to Turn?For many veterans, the challenge they face is not a lack of support, but finding a road map to guide them to the right resource. Red Cross offices in communities across the country have developed resource guides for veterans. These guides provide information about the various programs (both inside and outside the Red Cross) that provide services to veterans. Because resources and services vary greatly from community to community, each guide is developed locally, thus providing the most accurate picture of available local resources.

Veterans Hospital ProgramsRed Cross employees and volunteers in VA medical facilities strongly support the recovery and rehabilitation of service members as they undertake the transition to civilian life. In collaboration with VA medical facility management, Red Cross staff members identify and implement sustainable programs to assist veterans and their families.

In addition, the Red Cross works in partnership with the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) program to—

• Ensure the VAVS Program supports the VA’s mission;

• Provide veterans served by the VA with a range of services that are supplemental to budgetary appropriations; and

• Provide supplemental services in a timely manner through a volunteer program that is professionally managed by a Voluntary Service program manager.

Veterans’ Unique ChallengesThere are currently 23 million veterans in communities across the U.S. and its territories. Basic challenges faced every day by veterans and their families include, but are not limited to, mental health issues, housing needs, financial concerns, employment and legal issues. Through training, support services, credentialing and networking, many of these needs can be addressed.

Red Cross staff members are frequently able to assist veterans with upgrading their job skills through course scholarships and practice interview sessions. Red Cross chapters frequently partner with local Veterans Affairs offices to participate in “stand-downs,” at which homeless veterans are provided with much-needed services. Refreshments and comfort kits, which contain toiletry items, are frequently distributed at these events.

>> This fiscal year, more than 1,200 volunteers provided services each month through the Red Cross and VAVS.

Family Strength

Coping With Deployments courses More than 400 participants in more than 30 courses

Reconnection Workshops, Presented by Walmart

8 workshops held with 80 participants; 8 more workshops are already scheduled

Briefings 1,800 informational briefings about Red Cross services were provided to 126,000 service members and 48,500 family members

Career building 131 family members completed nurse assistant or dental assistant training

Emergency Services

Messages and case services More than 150,000 case services undertaken in the delivery of more than 48,000 messages

Financial assistance provided to more than 2,800 families

$3.5 million in grants and loans

Suicide prevention The Red Cross intervened in more than 200 cases of threatened self-injury

Deployment Sites (Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq and Djibouti, Africa—15 Staff Members)

Emergency Message delivery More than 11,000 messages were delivered

Foot traffic to offices for assistance or canteen services

19,000 visitors

Hospital visits 800 patients were visited and provided with comfort materials

Hospital Programs

Warrior in Transition Units (WTUs) 15,000 items were distributed to service members assigned to WTUs

Military medical facilities 47,000 items provided to patients in military medical facilities

Veterans Affairs medical facilities 59,000 items distributed

Therapy programs 12,000 patient participants

Veterans Programs

Resource guides distributed More than 4,700

Veterans stand-downs At 90 stand-downs, more than 9,000 items were distributed.

Volunteers by Position Type (per month)

Hospital volunteers More than 4,000

Non-hospital volunteers on military installations 1,800

Service to Military Families 2,300

Veterans Affairs volunteers 1,200

Report Card – July to December 2011

H21255-04/12

It is only through the generous support of the American public that the American Red Cross

can continue providing critical services to military members and their families. For more

information on the Red Cross mission, and to learn how you can make a difference in your

own community, please visit redcross.org or contact your local chapter.

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