Together We Prepare Oregon
About Us – Overview
Mission
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
Services
The Oregon Trail Chapter provides a variety of community services which are consistent with the Red Cross mission and meet the specific needs of this area, including:
- Disaster planning, preparedness and education
- Relief to victims of disasters
- Emergency communications between members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families
- First aid and CPR training
- Water safety and lifeguard training
- Opportunities to donate blood and blood products
Chapter Values
In common with our mission and the fundamental principles, the following Oregon Trail Chapter values provide direction for what our priorities are, how we work together and with others to achieve out goals and how we make our decisions. Having a shared, clearly defined set of values provides continuity, a common language and a common focus, in our dynamic and often challenging work. Defining and communicating our values is an invitation to everyone to join and support us in our commitments and service to our communities.
Compassion and Humanity: Driving forces in our interactions with clients, volunteers, each other and the community we serve.
- Inclusion: We welcome and incorporate diverse people and perspectives. We need the unique skills and experiences of individuals and our community partners to help guide the chapter’s direction and achieve service excellence.
- Volunteerism: Volunteers make it possible for us to fulfill the Red Cross mission. We support volunteers in a way that empowers them to lead our service delivery.
- Innovation: We lead our community and our organization creatively, flexibly, and enthusiastically in responding to changing needs.
- Cooperation: Our work is done collaboratively and transcends position and department boundaries. We recognize and take pride in each other’s accomplishments and the organization’s success.
- Integrity: We are honest and consistent in our commitments to all of those with whom we interact.
- Quality of Service: To ensure a positive impact in our community,
we continually strive for excellence in the quality of the programs and services we provide for all those we serve.
Seven Fundamental Principles
- Humanity: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire to bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavors, in its international and national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all peoples.
- Impartiality: It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavors to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress.
- Neutrality: In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.
- Independence: The Movement is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their governments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with the principles of the Movement.
- Voluntary Service: It is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain.
- Unity: There can be only one Red Cross or one Red Crescent Society in any one country. It must be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory.
- Universality: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in which all Societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other, is worldwide.
Financial Support
Although chartered by Congress to provide services, American Red Cross is not a government agency. The chapter receives 14 percent of its funding through United Way and 76 percent comes from generous individual and corporate donations, foundation giving and fee-for-service programs.
Leadership
The chapter is led by a local, volunteer board of directors. The chapter has approximately 50 full-time staff members who support the work of more than 1,600 volunteers.