Welcome to the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter

The mission of the American Red Cross is to provide relief to victims of disaster and to help people prevent, prepare, and respond to emergencies. The Red Cross fulfills this mission in a variety of ways. We offer immediate assistance with food, clothing, shelter, and emotional support to victims of disasters such as fires and floods. We also help increase the preparedness of our communities by offering courses in First Aid, CPR/AED, Babysitter’s Training, Lifeguard Training, and other certification courses, in addition to selling first aid kits and AEDs. All proceeds from our courses and products go directly to disaster relief. The Red Cross also offers free preparedness presentations to our communities, and we provide certification testing for Certified Nursing Assistants. As part of our emergency response, the Red Cross also facilitates emergency communication between family members at home and military members serving overseas.

Is the American Red Cross a government agency?

The American Red Cross is a non-profit charity organization that is independent of the government. We rely on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations of our community who donate their time and money to help us fulfill our lifesaving mission.

Where can I find statistics about the Red Cross?

Please refer to our chapter fact sheet for statistics about our local services and volunteerism. Please refer to our annual report for our financial statistics.

How is the Red Cross organized?

The American Red Cross is headquartered nationally in Washington, D.C. There are over 700 chapters throughout the country that are led by this national office that exist to provide services locally to communities in every state. Every Red Cross chapter shares the mission of the national Red Cross, and we all work together as One Red Cross to provide our services. To learn more about the American Red Cross nationally, please visit www.redcross.org.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter is led by a divisional vice president, a chief executive officer of the chapter, and a board of directors. We are primarily comprised of volunteers who help us fulfill our mission by responding to disaster scenes, teaching Health and Safety classes, answering telephones at the chapter, representing us at community events, helping us maintain positive media relations, relaying messages between military personnel and their families at home, and helping us with maintenance in the building, among other duties.

I am a member of the media, and I’d like to report on the Red Cross. Who should I contact?

All media inquiries during normal business hours should be directed to Brian Knavish at 412-263-3158 or KnavishB@usa.redcross.org. If you need information outside of normal business hours, please call 888-217-9599 and ask to have the on-call media representative paged.

How can I help?

There are countless ways that you can help the Red Cross! We are always in need of volunteers to help us fulfill our mission (in fact, over 90% of the Red Cross is comprised of volunteers). We also always depend on generous financial donations from our community to allow us to provide our services. You can also greatly help your community by becoming trained in lifesaving skills such as CPR or First Aid. Please also help us by recording your Promise to Prepare here.

Emergency Services

How can I prepare myself for emergencies?

You can find preparedness resources here. You can also find safety tips for many situations here. Please also feel free to call Michael Adametz at 412-263-3141 to learn more about becoming prepared. Finally, please let us know that you’re taking the steps to become prepared by recording your Promise to Prepare here.

The American Red Cross responds to hurricanes and floods, right?

Yes, the American Red Cross responds to hurricanes and floods as part of our mission to provide relief to victims of disaster. However, the Red Cross also responds to countless other disasters, both locally and nationally. These disasters can include wildfires, house fires, terrorist attacks, plane crashes, tornados, storms, and many other natural and manmade disasters. Furthermore, while the national disasters are often prevalent in the media, each chapter is responsible for responding to local disasters, which occur much more frequently. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter responds to an emergency - usually a house fire - an average of once every 29 hours.

Where can I donate blood?

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter does not accept blood donations; however, the Greater Alleghenies Blood Region office, which is based in Johnstown, holds regular blood drives in and around Pittsburgh. You can sign up to donate blood on their website at www.redcrosslife.org.

What is Promise to Prepare?

Promise to Prepare is a local campaign that seeks to make Southwestern Pennsylvania more prepared for disasters. We are asking 10,000 people to record their promise by pledging to do one or more of the following four steps: 1) Make a Plan, 2) Build a Kit, 3) Get Trained, and 4) Volunteer. It costs nothing to make a promise, and after you make your promise, we will help you fulfill it. Please help us reach our goal! Please click here for more information.

Volunteering

What volunteer opportunities are available?

The American Red Cross depends on volunteers to fulfill its mission. A wide variety of volunteer opportunities are available at the Red Cross, from teaching classes, responding to emergencies, helping with clerical duties, and representing the Red Cross at special events. Please visit our Volunteer Opportunities page to learn more about all of our positions.

How much time do I need to have available to volunteer?

Each volunteer position requires a different time commitment; the time given by our volunteers depends on the volunteer positions that they choose. Many of our opportunities offer flexible scheduling. Please call Renee Willow at 412-263-3136 to learn more about what volunteer position might work for you.

Does the Red Cross provide volunteer training?

Yes, the Red Cross provides free training to all of our volunteers to ensure that they are well-prepared for their volunteer positions before and during their service.

Health and Safety Classes

How long does my class certification last?

CPR/AED certification lasts one year. First Aid certification lasts three years. Lifeguard certification lasts three years. Pet first aid certification currently does not expire.

How can I sign up for a class?

Thank you for your interest in taking a class and becoming prepared! Please call us at 412-263-3100, or register online here.

Where can I find information about becoming a lifeguard?

Please click here to learn about our Aquatics school and to find local job opportunities for lifeguards.

Donations and Fundraising

How does my donation help?

We depend on your generosity to help us provide food, clothing, and shelter to victims of disaster. On average, 91 cents out of every dollar donated to the Red Cross goes directly to disaster relief, where it helps the people who are most in need. Please also view our annual report to learn more about our financial position.

Can I donate food or clothing to the American Red Cross?

Although we appreciate the generosity of the offer, the American Red Cross cannot accept in-kind donations such as food or clothing, simply because we are not equipped to adequately store and distribute such donations. However, we depend on and are always grateful to receive monetary donations to help us fulfill our mission and provide our services. Please read more about our In-Kind Gift policy.

Does the Red Cross have fundraising events?

Yes, the Red Cross is proud to hold its annual Red Cross Ball, which celebrates our mission with an evening of dinner, dancing, and a silent auction. We also recently held a Heroes Breakfast which honored local community heroes. Please click here to find more information on our Events page.

I have a fundraising idea for the Red Cross. Who should I contact?

Thank you for your interest in helping the Red Cross. Please call Tom Wiese at 412-263-3127 to inquire about partnering with us for fundraising.

I am hosting an event, and I’d like the Red Cross to be part of it. Who should I contact?

Please call Cristina Hohmeier at 412-263-3162 or e-mail events details to HohmeierC@usa.redcross.org for consideration.

If you have a question that was not answered on this page, please browse our website for more information, or call us at 412-263-3100.