American Junior Red Cross-Juniors Helping Everywhere, poster by Paul Marten, 1930

Many people wonder what a 13-year-old can do for their local Red Cross and why it’s even worth it to keep young people around. Well, as it turns out, youth make up 26 percent of the volunteer base for the organization and not only that, youth are formidable fundraisers as well. As the 90th anniversary of the Junior Red Cross rolls around, it is noticeable that the time has come when Red Cross accomplishments cannot be spoken of without mentioning the importance of youth.

Being a disaster response youth volunteer at my local chapter, I saw first-hand what a difference the money raised can make when I was called to respond to a fire. I arrived at the scene in North Philadelphia to find a 72-year-old woman distraught and scared. It was touching to see that even though her house would require restoration before she could live inside it, her neighbors were able to come to her until the Red Cross case workers could get in touch with her family and find her a stable place to stay. Witnessing this reminded me of my many experiences years earlier when, as a part of the Saturday Leaders program at my chapter, we held events to fundraise for situations just like the fire I responded to: we held carwashes, 24-hour famines and anything else we could come up with to raise funds for our local chapter’s disaster funds.

Youth fundraising goes beyond the chapter or the blood region however. Around the country, the National Youth Council is spearheading a number of initiatives that allow youth to sustain our pivotal role in the organization. The beauty of the Red Cross is, among many other things, its ability to place the power to make a difference in the hands of anyone who would like to do so. Youth are no exception to the rule. The Measles and Malaria fundraising campaign has involved thousands of youth around the country in fundraising at their local chapter for those in Africa in need of vaccination against diseases and has raised tens of thousands of dollars from events such as concerts. The Navin Narayan Scholarship fund has brought about activities like selling shirts and bags and involving youth at chapters in fundraising for this national scholarship, while allowing us to contribute to a scholarship that is given to a youth volunteer among us.

Through its activities, the National Youth Council is fundraising not only for right now but is also building momentum for the future to ensure that we continue receiving support for our fundraising activities. In supporting that, youth are sustaining ourselves and our programs, as well as adding to the efforts of our local chapters in fundraising for funds that have no limit in their need. The only thing stronger than the spirit of youth is the organization’s mission that we believe in. And armed with such faith in the power that we have, the results are limitless for what we can do as youth volunteers for the American Red Cross.