“Though it is little that one woman can do, still I crave the privilege of doing it.” Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, once wrote this in a letter to I.W. Denney. She was looking for permission to go to the front during the Civil War, and despite the misogyny of her time, Barton persevered and founded an incredible organization: The American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross was created in Washington, D.C. on May 21st, 1881. After Barton returned home from the Civil War, she visited Europe. It was in Europe that she learned of an institute known as the Red Cross. Barton found their goals admirable, and she pushed to start a version of the Red Cross in the United States.
The organization was an imperative part of the country for the next few decades and even continuing today. In 2007, they restated their purposes: giving relief to American military and offering relief from disasters. The American Red Cross had many different programs before the first World War, including first aid, public health nursing programs, and water safety. They employed many nurses, and they became most known for their blood collection. Their blood drives benefitted causes such as the HIV/AIDS crisis, and overall, their work shaped American history as we know it.
Though Clara Barton died in 1912, we have our very own Clara Barton here at Lincoln-Way East: Jenna Abuhamdan, junior, president, and founder of the American Red Cross club. Below is an interview with her about the foundation of this new club.
Q: What inspired you to start this club?
A: I was involved in the Red Cross Club at my old school, and I found it admirable that the American Red Cross seeks to alleviate human suffering in national and international communities. When I found out we didn’t have one here at Lincoln-Way East, I knew I had to start one!
Q: What are your goals for this club?
A: Our goals align with the goals of the American Red Cross, so we seek to alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. My goal is to have everyone involved in our club to have the leadership, volunteering, and team skills to help one another.
Q: How often do you meet? What do you cover in your meetings?
A: We meet once a month after school in room 148! Students can get more information on specific dates by looking for the flyers around the school and listening to the announcements! We discuss what activity we will be doing for the day as well as what activities we plan to do in the future. Our most recent meeting involved getting everyone familiar with the American Red Cross website and brainstorming ideas.
Q: How would you summarize this club in one sentence?
A: A student-led organization that is keen on leadership opportunities and providing humanitarian aid in alignment with the values of the American Red Cross.
Q: Why should our readers join this club?
A: Your readers should join because the skills they learn inside the club will carry on with them for a lifetime. We not only cover leadership skills, but also lifesaving skills that are crucial in dire circumstances. Also, the American Red Cross community is full of students that want to change the world for the better, so new students can share and build off of others’ ideas to become a more well-rounded volunteer.
The American Red Cross Club meets once a month in Room 148, and their club provides a multitude of opportunities for aspiring medical professionals. Even if you aren’t looking for a career in the medical field, it’s interesting and important to learn about the topics that are covered in their meetings. With a group like the American Red Cross Club at our school, the world is bound to be changed for the better, one step at a time.
Resources:
https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/National/history-full-history.pdf