The French Red Cross is a humanitarian aid association founded in 1864. Its purpose is to help people in difficulty and fight against precariousness. History, missions, number, how to donate money or clothes?
Present everywhere in Francethe French Red Cross is a humanitarian aid association whose objective is to help disadvantaged people or in a situation of vulnerability and fight against poverty In France. The Red Cross also exists in 188 countries around the world entire. Who invented the French Red Cross? What is the purpose of the Red Cross and what does it do to help people? How can I donate money or clothes?
What is the Red Cross? When was it created?
The French Red Cross is an independent association which acts alongside the public authorities and brings together more than 65,000 volunteers and more than 16,000 employees engaged in more than 600 establishments. It was created in France in 1864 by Henry Dunant, a Swiss humanist businessman, after the battle of Solferino, where it established itself as an international movement for aid and assistance to victims. Today, the Red Cross is not only a French institution: it is an international humanitarian movement present in 188 countries.
Purpose, missions: what does the Red Cross do to help people?
The French Red Cross revolves around 5 pillars : Emergency and first aid, Social action, Training, Health and International action. Among its missions:
► The French Red Cross organizes, through the aid stations, the establishment of health blankets during sporting or cultural events, or during gatherings.
► The French Red Cross makes food distributions which can take different forms: baskets, hot meals, shared meals, sandwiches, soups…
► The French Red Cross organizes social groceries in which the beneficiary comes to stock up regularly by paying only 10% of the real value of the goods, for a period determined by an allocation committee.
► The French Red Cross helps to professional reintegration for long-term job seekers, homeless (homeless), young people without income…
► The French Red Cross offers underprivileged children and their families individualized social, psychological and educational support to build a stable life plan, respectful of the well-being of the child and the ties that unite him to his family.
► The French Red Cross offers elderly people who need daily or occasional support, solutions adapted to their situation: day care, accommodation, assistance and home care services, etc.
► The French Red Cross accompanies nearly every year 3,600 children and adults with disabilities. The objective is to involve these people in the development of their life project, by closely involving the families.
► The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is assignment to protect and provide assistance to certain categories of people affected by an armed conflict or a situation of violence, whether they are civilians, the wounded or prisoners of war. For example, it is the main humanitarian actor involved in the field, in Ukrainein support of the Ukrainian Red Cross
What is the Red Cross logo?
The Red Cross logo is easily recognizable: it is, as its name suggests, a red cross on a white background.
It is possible to make a donation to the Red Cross from website, a one-time amount (free amount) or recurring (every month). The Red Cross uses donations to its priority missions. The French Red Cross being a recognized association of general interest, the donations you make are eligible for a tax deduction of 75% on your income tax within the limit of 1000 euros of donation. Beyond that, the deduction rises to 66% within the limit of 20% of your taxable income. But also, once a year, the Red Cross organizes a great national quest. This year, volunteers from the French Red Cross will meet the public all over France (supermarkets, markets, events, etc.) to collect donations from the June 3 to 11, 2023.
The donation of clothes is also possible and is part of the solidarity gestures to support the association and its actions. You can donate all your textiles to the French Red Cross, even if they have already been worn or used, whether they are clothes, shoes or linens. Nevertheless :
- Make sure they are clean and dry
- Tie shoes in pairs so that they do not find themselves orphans
- Put all your clothes in a closed bag.
Just drop them in a Red Cross collection point: you can bring them directly to a vesti-boutique, a cloakroom, or a Chez Henry solidarity boutique or drop them off in one of the dedicated containers (2300 collection points distributed throughout France: see the interactive map below). All clean clothes in good condition will be distributed to people in precarious situations supported by the Red Cross, resold at a low price to finance social actions carried out locally by the French Red Cross.
Which diploma to work at the Red Cross?
If you want to get involved with the Red Cross, it’s possible:
► As a volunteer: the Red Cross offers 120 volunteer missions which are listed on the platform benevolat.croix-rouge.fr. All you have to do is fill in the name of the city in which you wish to act to access all the offers offered. If one of them interests you, click on “volunteer”. You will then be contacted again. No degree is required to be a volunteer.
► As an employee : there is a space dedicated to job offers on the red cross website in the following sectors: medical, training, management, care and paramedical, general resources, international, educational and social, administration. Depending on the offers, specific diplomas may be requested. It is also possible to submit a spontaneous application.
- By telephone : 01 44 43 13 00 (contact number) / 0800 858 858 (listening, aid and support service of the French Red Cross)
- By postal address: 98 rue Didot, 75694 Paris Cedex 14
- On their websitevia the contact form
Sources: Official website of the Red Cross / Facebook page of the Red Cross / Vie publique.fr sheet “What is the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)?