I’d love to volunteer, but I don’t have the time... We understand that our volunteers have busy schedules and work hard to accommodate them! Several opportunities offer flexible schedules perfect for the working adult or student.
I don’t have any specialized skills to offer... You’ll be surprised by what you can do! The most important thing to us is your willingness to volunteer; we are happy to provide any necessary training.
How long will it take to begin my volunteer service? Our chapter processes about 80 volunteers per month, and it can take one to two months to start as a volunteer depending on your interest. Please be patient with us and the process. We appreciate your interest in volunteering and value your time!
Is there an age requirement to volunteer? The minimum age for core volunteers with the American Red Cross - San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter is 16 years of age with a signed youth permission form, though some special events allow for volunteers as young as 10. Please note that there are minimum age requirements in place for specific activities: Disaster Response (fieldwork) - 18 years or older; Service to the Armed Forces and Response Center Enterprise - 21 years or older.
Are there community service or court-mandated opportunities available? As of January 2009, the American Red Cross - San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter ceased opportunities for court-mandated volunteers. We recommend contacting Volunteer San Diego or Volunteer Match.
I want to help, but don’t know where to start. Check out a list of available volunteer opportunities or read further to learn about some of our key programs. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about a specific opportunity, please send an email to volunteer@sdarc.org or call (858) 309-1261.
1. Services to the Armed Forces (SAF)
The American Red Cross provides essential reporting and communication services between military personnel and their loved ones worldwide. In addition to providing military families international connection and financial aid services, our chapter also provides support for local military installations. Professional and clerical volunteers help facilitate local military hospitals and branch medical clinics.
2. Blood Services
The Red Cross’s Blood Services conducts research and provides collection, testing, processing and distribution of blood and blood products for nearly 40 percent of the American public.
3. Disaster Services
Each year, the Red Cross responds to more than 70,000 disasters. The San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter responds to local disasters, statistically, every 28 hours. Our disaster relief efforts focus on meeting people’s immediate needs which include shelter, food, health and mental health services. The core of the Red Cross disaster relief is to enable individuals and families to independently resume their normal daily activities. Red Cross disaster relief services are free, a donated gift of the American people.
4. Health and Safety
Health and Safety Services educate our communities about disasters and how to prepare for them. The American Red Cross teaches numerous classes such as CPR/First Aid, aquatic courses, care giving classes (i.e. babysitting training), and HIV/AIDS education.
5. International Services
International Services works with a global network of the Red Cross to provide emergency response, food programming, primary health care, water, and sanitation services. In addition, our Red Cross tracing services and Red Cross messages help families separated by war or disaster to locate each other and relay messages.
6. Woman, Infants and Children (WIC)
Unique to our San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter, the WIC program strives to help pregnant woman, new mothers and young children eat well and stay healthy. The WIC program provides vouchers for nutritious foods, at no cost. Our nutrition counselors and Registered Dieticians offer nutrition education, and our Certified Lactation Educators provide breastfeeding support. We also offer referrals to help clients find other services in the community.