Preliminary Business Report of American Red Cross
Introduction and Background
The American Red Cross is an organization devoted to the promotion of human welfare and social reforms. It plays a significant role as an advocate of the principles of humanism. Its primary concern is with the interests and welfare of humans. The organization aims at contributing significantly in offering services like providing assistance in time of emergency, education and disaster relief. The organization also devotes its effort in humanitarian services in other fields like offering communication services and comforting the members of armed forces and their relatives. The organization works toward responding to disasters and it aims at distributing and processing blood and blood products. In addition, American Red Cross offers educational program to the volunteers concerning the emergency preparedness, international aids, humanitarian and health and safety issues. The organization is governed by peoples who perform voluntary work (Jones 117). American Red Cross marshal resources from donors and volunteers with a core objective of preventing and alleviating human suffering during emergencies.
Experience with Previous Projects
The organization has gained experience by being involved in previous humanitarian projects. It contributed significantly during the year 2005 hurricanes. It enlisted a considerable number of volunteers to be on standby deployment list. The projected benefited the victims through enrolling a high percentage of unpaid employees that provided shelter, casework, assessment and communication services throughout the hurricanes events. The organization also participated in offering hygiene essentials, for example, soaps, toys for children and distributed cleanup kits. During the hurricanes events, organization distributed meals and snacks for the breakfast to the victims. The victims hence benefited from the projects since they obtained shelters, meals and basic items that they required to live a healthy and safe life after the event (Irwin 108).
Another project that the American Red Cross contributed in helping victims is in February year 2007 central Florida tornado. The organization participated in offering shelters, provided pre-packaged meals and deployed volunteers to assist locals with the relief efforts. During the event, the organization deployed vehicles that were used in supplying food to the community and distributing other required items such as clothing. Other humanitarian role that was conducted by the American Red Cross was to shelter displaced people in Kansas after the Tornado outbreak that took place on May year 2007. It also distributed water, relief supplies and food. The project was beneficial in that it helped in ensuring the well-being of the victims. It also benefited them in that they could get the most basic needs that they required after the events, for instance, through providing shelter, food and clothing to the victims (Jones 136).
Charitable Support and Development Assistance Program
The program is meant to reduce the impacts of the prolonged conflicts to the civilians. The large percentage of victims after protracted internal conflicts is the civilians. Civilians and entire ethnic groups suffer most even if they are not directly involved. The increased number of disturbing developments has triggered the need to establish a project that will cater for the needs of the victims in an extensive manner (Irwin 112).
Major benefits to communities are in that the program will be aiming at providing humanitarian relief and development assistance with the goal of rebuilding the war-torn nations after the conflicts. Development assistance being a long term project will also help in preventing future violence. The Charitable Support will be beneficial to residents in that it will prevent and minimize fatal injuries and ensure that the affected group can access basics for survival. The program will also be working to reduce income inequalities among the members of the society. It will hence help in solving issues that are associated with conflicts which include poor services from the ruling government, poverty, low levels of economic growth and unemployment. The program will hence support peace in the affected regions through ensuring donor funds are project tied to promote economic growth and equal opportunities. The program will hence stimulate increased growth in the economy through addressing the root cause of conflicts (Jones 137).
Personal Role in the Project
My role in the project will be acting in a facilitative leadership position across the disaster cycle. I will be representing the disaster cycle for preparedness, response and recovery. I will be ensuring that the American Red Cross services are offered to various communities. I will be playing a significant role in ensuring that communities are well prepared for disasters and can respond and recover effectively from emergencies. I will also play a leading role in managing primary volunteer team of employees that is in charge of implementing disaster preparedness, response and recovery programs in the community.
Budget
The budget for the project will analyze the expenses to be incurred by the American Red Cross project and its sources of revenue. The money to be used in funding the project will be coming from donations, investments income, and contributions from domestic and international relief. The money will be used to meet expenses of the program that includes and safety services, domestic disaster services and the humanitarian aid and assistance development services.
To Do List
The to do list in during the execution of the program will include;
- Raise the contribution fund
- Ensure that the community and volunteer team are well informed concerning the preparedness, response and recovery.
- Prevent human casualties
- Proving the basic needs for the survival to victims of the event occurs which includes sanitation, water food and shelter.
- Prevent Spread of conflict
- Prepare for rehabilitation for the relief services
- Intervene in reducing inequalities that are associated with conflicts
Proper execution of each phase of the project will be aimed at ensuring that the community benefits. The income will be collected through creating a donor fund account. Contribution from volunteers and holding federated campaign. Training program will be conducted to ensure that volunteers and the community are prepared to respond and recover from disasters.
Proposed Timeline
The proposed timeline for the execution of the project will be within duration of three months as follows:
| Duration in Weeks | Activities |
| 1 – 2 | The preparation for the project |
| 3 – 5 | Raising the funds required to meet the needs of victims and to respond to the emergencies |
| 6 – 8 | Hiring technical and paid employees |
| 9 – 11 | Training the volunteers |
| 12th Week | Assigning roles to the volunteers employees |
The program will have economic benefit to the community in that it will help in reducing the level of inequalities, unemployment and hence facilitate economic development. Preventing the occurrence of the conflicts and improved government services will act as an incentive to the investors and help in increasing the level of investment and employment.
Conclusion
The humanitarian aid and development program aims at improving services and help the individuals who are in need of emergency relief. It would work to overcome challenges, for instance, financial instabilities and government interferences that are likely to cause conflicts. The program also aims at lowering the level of casualties through increasing the level of preparedness. It will also encourage people mobilize people to donate basic needs and help the victims during emergencies by volunteering.
Works Cited
Irwin, Julia. Making the World Safe: The American Red Cross and a Nation’s Humanitarian Awakening. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Jones, Marian Moser. The American Red Cross from Clara Barton to the New Deal. Baltimore, MD: JHU Press, 2012.