Our Services Preparedness, Mitigation, Community Disaster Education The American Red Cross is working closely with our local, state, and national partners to help people personalize their risk to natural hazards and make disaster safety a personal priority. Our goal is to help build a "culture of prevention" that helps make families and communities safer - before disaster strikes. more… Call your local chapter or check out our disaster safety tips and educational materials for more information about those disasters that can affect you. Services If you are in need of a shelter during a disaster, please contact your local Red Cross chapter. The most visible and well-known of Red Cross disaster relief activities are sheltering and feeding. The Red Cross opens shelters for those displaced by a disaster and provides meals and snacks to families and to emergency workers in affected areas. After a disaster trained Red Cross interviewers meet one on one with families to determine their needs. The assistance may include providing the means for them to pay for groceries, new clothes, rent, emergency home repairs, transportation, medicines, and tools. The Red Cross also lets people know about other community or government resources available to them and helps those needing long-term recovery assistance when other resources are inadequate. Red Cross nurses deliver first aid and attend to other health-related matters. The Red Cross may help pay for certain medical needs, including prescription medicines, medical supplies, and emergency medical treatment. The Red Cross also provides blood and blood products. Disaster Mental Health Services workers are licensed mental health practitioners trained to recognize the emotional impact of a disaster on those affected by the disaster as well as disaster workers. They offer information and help educate people on the emotional impacts of disasters and how to cope with them. If a loved one is in the affected area, family members from outside the area can call their local chapter and request assistance in determining the well-being of their family member.