PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

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Emergency Services

The Illinois Capital Area Chapter is proud to serve as Central Illinois’ most crucial, non-governmental provider of Emergency Services, which include Disaster Relief and Armed Forces Emergency Services.

Disaster Relief

The top priority of the American Red Cross is to provide disaster relief to individuals, families and communities who have been affected by various forms of disaster.

During disasters, we seek to minimize loss, comfort victims, and help them restart their lives by providing basic necessities
including:

• Food, clothing, temporary shelter, first aid, and mental-health counseling.
  
  
• The Red Cross also assists emergency responders through mobile feeding, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, and helps those affected by disaster to access other available resources, if necessary.

On average, the American Red Cross, Illinois Capital Area Chapter responds to a disaster every 72 hours and provides direct financial assistance to hundreds of individuals and families every year.

American Red Cross Illinois Capital Area Chapter disaster assistance is available to all residents in the Chapter's jurisdiction (Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery and Sangamon Counties), who have been affected by disaster.

• Families that are highest at risk for disasters are the members of the community who are low-income and/or suffer other disadvantages.
  
  
• American Red Cross assistance allows affected families to stay intact and afloat until they are able to recover, so as not to force them into a state of homelessness or devastation from which they may not recover.

Armed Forces
Emergency Services

The Red Cross is chartered by the United States Congress to act as a communications medium between military personnel and their families. However, it receives no governmental funding for the program.

The United States Armed Forces recognizes American Red Cross emergency messages as the verifying source of an individual crisis in a military member’s family.

• This information enables commanders to make informed decisions regarding emergency leave when a military family faces crises such as death, critical illness, financial problems or birth. The American Red Cross is the ONLY agency that can provide emergency communications for military members and their families.

To reach a Service to the Armed Forces caseworker or for Service to the Armed Forces-related assistance, please call (877) 272-7337.