American Red Cross - Northern New England

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

The Red Cross movement began in Switzerland in 1863 when Henri Dunant focused worldwide attention on the horrors of war. He called for a humanitarian response to the victims of war and that response resulted in the Geneva Conventions. In 1881, Clara Barton learned of the Red Cross movement and founded the American Red Cross. 

The American Red Cross is not a government agency. Although we are mandated by Congress to provide disaster relief and other services, we are funded by the generosity of the American people. Through the mobilization of our volunteer workforce and the generosity of our donors, we are able to provide a diverse array of programs and services for the public, including: 

• Life-saving skills courses such as CPR and First Aid
• Financial and psychological support for victims of fires and other natural and man-made disasters
• Financial assistance for military members, veterans, and their families
• Collection of lifesaving blood to help hospital patients in need
• International tracing services to refugees separated from family members around the world 
• Disaster preparedness education, including home-fire evacuation plans 

The Maine Region continues our work through our offices in Portland, Topsham, Lewiston, Bangor, and Caribou. More than 90 percent of our workforce is made up of volunteers, which allows our organization to give an average of 91 cents of the donated dollar to support the needs of those we serve. There when needed, we are the American Red Cross.