The Red Cross
WHAT comes to your mind when you see a red cross? Perhaps, like me, you also think of blood donation and rescue action, which are not totally incorrect because those are among what Red Cross do.
Especially, Red Cross comes to my mind every time I hear of typhoon-related disasters or other calamities. Typhoon Yolanda was a big disaster that hit our country, and Red Cross was among those organizations that were there to lend a hand to the victims. Recently, typhoon Ompong has also claimed lives, homes and properties of people. Red Cross was also there to help. I really admire its volunteers who are willing to go and ‘get dirty’ in the name of humanitarian service.
According to its official site, https:// www.redcross.org.ph (the main source of this article), the Philippine Red Cross was officially born in 1947, a humanitarian organization comprised of hundreds of thousands of volunteers, ordinary people who are professionally trained, devoted to lend a hand to those in need regardless of who, when and where.
Back in the days, Red Cross used to be involved in providing blood and disaster-related activities; yet, as time went by, until now on its 71 years of existence, the Philippine Red Cross has also evolved toward a holistic approach to uplift the condition of the most vulnerable ranging from preventive medicine to therapeutic counseling to youth leadership. Red Cross now offers six major services as (1) Blood Services, (2) Disaster Management Services, (3) Safety Services, (4) Health Services, (5) Social Services, and (6) Red Cross Youth and Volunteer Services. All these services embody the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality, which has become a way of life of any Red Cross volunteer.
Any Filipino can become part of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC). The act of donating blood is already a huge participation. One can also become an official volunteer, but must undergo and pass the required trainings. Others can also become members by simply paying the designated annual membership fee.
Why become a PRC Member?
Accidents can happen to anyone. There are emergency situations when we need immediate help. These are the times when our Red Cross membership might become handy.
In its official website, Red Cross mentions some of the benefits of becoming a Red Cross member. One is building self-worth knowing that you are involved in something noble. Another is social network by participating in the forums, seminars and activities of Red Cross. These activities could also help in your personal growth and development. You can use the trainings for future situations, too. Last is the ready access to the services of Red Cross. As I’ve said, your membership in Red Cross might just become handy during those times when you need help the most.