American Red Cross

Nicole Rudnitsky grew up swimming and has always loved the water. Today, she's using that passion and knowledge to teach the next generation of lifesavers. Nicole's aquatics journey began when she became a certified lifeguard at 15 years old. Sixteen years later, she's a trainer and leads a team of lifeguards as the Assistant Director of Risk Management and Aquatics at Clemson University. "Seeing them progress from a lifeguard just trying to understand the skills to then turn around and now teaching new lifeguards is really rewarding," Nicole said. Even with all of her experience and knowledge, Nicole still remembers a pivotal moment in her career when she had to step up and be brave. She was coaching an outdoor recreation league one summer when someone dove too deep into just 6 feet of water. “She hit her head on the bottom of the pool," Nicole said. "It was the most intense save I’ve had to execute. She ended up being okay, but that was definitely one of the more intense, more difficult challenges I’ve had as a lifeguard.” Nicole's training gives her confidence. It also feeds her passion to inspire young people and help them grow. "Just knowing the material inside and out and training my staff has helped me understand the skills and their importance even more," Nicole said. Way to be an impactful leader, Nicole! 👏🏼

Yuna Ha's internship experience with the Red Cross challenged her to leave her comfort zone. Now, she feels more prepared and confident pursuing a career in healthcare. Yuna recently finished her undergraduate degree with plans to go to medical school. She was inspired to become a doctor after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. Yuna admired the relationship her mom had with her physician, who was Korean like her. They were able to communicate and connect in her native language. “I realized how important inclusion is and how having people like myself in healthcare improves people’s outcomes,” Yuna said. During high school, Yuna was one of only five Koreans in her entire school. This ignited in her a desire to become a leader and make a difference in her community. Yuna took the first step toward that goal by joining the American Red Cross Central California Region's preparedness team. She did everything from communications outreach to supporting community events and hosting Hands-Only CPR trainings. We have so much admiration for young Red Crossers like Yuna who are strengthening their voices and becoming role models in their communities.

No judgment here! If a disaster were to strike right now, how ready would you be? Tell us which emoji represents your level of preparedness. We'll be back tomorrow with some simple steps you can take to start preparing for emergencies. #NationalPreparednessMonth

People in western Alaska struggled to access clean drinking water after Typhoon Merbok struck the area in September 2022. The storm left devastating damage to homes, roads and seawalls, including Alaska’s water system.

 Bottled water was donated, but the shipping costs were high and plastic waste quickly became a problem for the Bering Strait region. The community needed a sustainable solution, and our Long-Term Recovery team stepped in to help.

 Our teams partnered with Kawerak, Inc., a nonprofit tribal consortium, to install water filters in some of the hardest-hit villages across Alaska. More than 3,200 people have received water filtration systems as of July 2024.

The impacts of extreme weather are a daily challenge for many vulnerable communities. We’re working to combat that by providing sustainable, lifesaving solutions.


Join us on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 2:30 p.m. ET for a live discussion with Trevor Riggen, President of Humanitarian Services at the American Red Cross, and Anna Bard, Senior Vice President of the Wells Fargo Foundation. During this live conversation, Trevor and Anna will talk about how volunteers power the critical work we do and how partners like Wells Fargo help us deliver our lifesaving mission through employee volunteerism.

Ciana Naputi understands the importance of being there for loved ones during tough times. She is part of our Hero Care Network, which operates a 24/7 call center for military members, veterans and their families. Ciana provides emergency communications that can bring service members home during difficult moments or for joyful events like the birth of a child. Her family's own experience with this service shaped her compassionate approach to this work. "My family’s had to use it for my grandparents back in Guam," Ciana shared. "My dad’s had to use it for my mom, who passed away over 10 years ago." Thank you, Ciana, for making a difference one call at a time. ❤️

Gabriela Gehrke has lived around the world and speaks not one — but six — languages. She used her diverse viewpoints and skillset to support our lifesaving mission as a volunteer, an experience that helped propel her career. Born and raised in Mexico City, Gabriela's native tongue is Spanish. Because her mother emigrated from Italy to Argentina after World War II, she also learned to speak Italian at home. On top of that, Gabriela started attending English speaking schools when she was in kindergarten. She expanded her language skills after earning a French language scholarship in 1999 in l'Aliance Française of Mexico City. Gabriela later learned German in 2006 before studying applied physics in Germany in 2008, and Swedish in 2018, which landed her first freelancing translation job in 2022. In 2023, Gabriela started searching for volunteer opportunities in the U.S. She struggled to find a role that aligned with her interests and values. But there was hope after she found an opening on our volunteer translation team. "When I came across the Red Cross opening, it was the perfect match," Gabriela said. "I thought of that opportunity as the best way not only to put my linguistic skills to use, but also to help convey a humanitarian message." She started as a volunteer translator and proofreader, working her way up to a senior position in just two weeks. As a leader, she shared her translation services industry expertise and project management ideas to strengthen her team. In less than five months, Gabriela broke her team's record of hours volunteered: nearly 740. Her deep understanding of the power of accessible, compassionate communication motivated her to do the work every day. "Humanity is a value I believe is required now more than ever, especially after coming from Europe and experiencing the outbreak of the Syrian civil war and then the Ukraine-Russian conflict," Gabriela said. "Seeing and reliving all that suffering firsthand was a wake-up call for more compassion." Gabriela found a chance to grow even further with the Red Cross after a full-time position for a Multicultural Communications Specialist opened. A trusted colleague gave her the encouragement she needed to apply, and she landed the job. "Working for the Red Cross has been rewarding on many levels," Gabriela said. "It helped me ease my transition to the U.S., make new acquaintances and allows me to use my skills, and share my knowledge with others." We are incredibly grateful for dedicated Red Crossers like Gabriela who help us connect our mission to more communities every day. 🫶🏽 If Gabriela's Red Cross journey inspires you, learn how you can get involved in the comments.

This answer might shock you. ⚡️ Tell us you know how you'd protect yourself from lightning storms by responding to this poll. We'll come back tomorrow to share the correct answer.

Mark Munson donated blood for 50 years. Then he found himself in need. A motorcyclist for 40 years with no accidents or citations on his record, the 70-year-old went through the unimaginable when he was struck head-on by an SUV last year, just four miles from his home. “The motorcycle was totaled, and I was very nearly totaled,” Mark said. “You can’t think about the ‘what ifs,’ but if I had been 15 seconds later, this never would have happened.” Mark was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries: A broken vertebrae in his neck, a broken back, a broken leg, a broken rib, and a ruptured spleen. His situation was dire — he was bleeding internally and needed blood. Five units of blood and two units of plasma saved his life. “If [the donated blood] had not been there, we would not be having this conversation,” Mark said. “I know that now firsthand. Before my accident, the notion of blood donation was an abstract concept. It’s not abstract anymore. Now, it’s absolute. “I’m walking, talking. It’s quite remarkable that I’m still here. It just emphasizes how important it is to donate when you can, because if you don’t need it, somebody else does.” After the accident, he mastered physical therapy and relearned to walk — first with a walker, then a cane, and eventually, unassisted. Then came occupational therapy and returning to work in his 9th season with the Portland Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs teamed up with the American Red Cross of Northern New England in April to host a blood drive at the ballpark. For the first time since his accident, Mark was able to donate blood, adding his donation to the 36 units collected at the blood drive. “It feels like my recovery journey is now complete," he said. "I am back to doing everything that I need or want to do. For me, having the ability and the opportunity to donate again feels triumphant.”

"Every death is a profound loss for the communities we serve, leaving fewer trained hands to care for those in need." In this The New York Times op-ed, Kate Forbes shares our plea to protect humanitarians. This year is on track to be the deadliest on record for humanitarian workers, and it's time for violence against them to stop. https://rdcrss.org/3Xi6HBf