American Red Cross
- Primary Cause
- Human Services
- Secondary Cause
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations
As a community-based humanitarian organization, the American Red Cross Minnesota Region prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
By helping people learn how to take care of their families and neighbors, the Red Cross strengthens communities and readies them for all types of disasters, including home fires, tornadoes, winter storms and health emergencies.
American Red Cross
On a crisp and sunny Saturday morning, thirty-eight volunteers spread out across Plainview, Minnesota, to install more than 300 smoke alarms in family homes. On the previous Saturday, volunteers had canvassed around 400 homes in the community to identify where new fire detectors should be added or old ones replaced. Now, in mid-September, firefighters, community members and American Red Cross volunteers went in teams of three to five to install the new smoke alarms and to give home safety materials concerning home fire prevention and escape planning as part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. As the volunteers gathered at the Plainview Fire Department, the Sievers family was there to greet and thank them for the Red Cross help they received following a home fire disaster. A year ago Bobbie, Jake and their young son escaped from a fire that damaged the front of their house and up into the rafters. Red Cross volunteers responded, providing food and clothing for relief after the