Organizations Fighting Hunger

Description:

The American Red Cross, Serving Greater Iowa is operating in 94 of 99 counties in the state of Iowa via main offices located in; Des Moines, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque.  Our mission is to prevent and alleviate suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.  The Red Cross has roughly 4 volunteers to each paid staff which enables us to have a presence in every community.

Resilient communities are able to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.  Annually we respond to nearly 600 disasters in the state of Iowa each year.  Some are large-scale disasters such as flooding, but almost daily we support those who have suffered from a house fire.  We provide a number of services for clients, from mental health support to direct financial assistance, with a goal of immediate recovery.  Our 5 pillar services are; Domestic Disaster Response, International Services (when called upon by the greater Red Cross Society Internationally), Health and Safety (Courses and Services), Services to the Armed Forces and Blood Services (collection and distribution of the nation’s blood needs).

How to Help:

The Red Cross responds to anyone who calls on our services, including rural Iowa.  We’ve helped farm families recover from tornados, mobilized and fed volunteer crews who helped to clear fields of debris for harvest, and supplied direct disaster financial assistance to farm families in need.  While donations on the heels of a disaster are appreciated, we are able to save $4 during disasters for every $1 we raise prior to an event.  We are also better prepared to respond given; volunteer recruitment and training, pre-positioning of supplies and networking efforts. 

Iowans can support the work of the American Red Cross through donations, volunteering and community partnerships.

We’ve also developed the Red Cross Gift of Grain Program which is unique to Iowa to help us prepare for disasters through grain donations.  Farmers will find Red Cross, (Serving Greater Iowa) accounts at nearly every CoOp and Elevator in the state and both the CoOps and the Red Cross can provide a tax receipt for the grain donations.  Please help us turn grain into groceries for those that have suffered from a disaster through donations of grain.  The Red Cross, Serving Greater Iowa, can also accept donated land, equipment, livestock and stock gifts.

For more information or to become involved, please visit the Red Cross online or contact Mr. Bryce Sitter by email at bryce.sitter@redcross.org or by phone at 515-473-1284 (cell) or 515 246-6307 (office).

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