Every eight minutes, the Red Cross helps someone affected by a disaster. Whether it’s a local home fire or a national response to a hurricane, Red Cross disaster responders provide comfort, care and support. This meaningful work is made possible by generous donors like Felicity Britt who help ensure the Red Cross is there to offer help on someone’s darkest day.

As a child, Felicity says her parents encouraged her to give back and find ways to make a difference in their community. She recalls seeing news coverage about the impact of a hurricane when she was about 10 years old and hearing that the Red Cross was there to help those affected.

“I got really concerned, so I saved up my money. I think it was like $40 at the time – it wasn’t that much,” said Felicity.

Her mother, Jessica, brought Felicity and her sisters to the local Red Cross office to drop off their gift. It was a meaningful moment for young Felicity, who would go on to raise money for the Red Cross by creating and selling jewelry as a teenager.

“The last couple of years I’ve been doing craft fairs during the holiday season because a lot of churches and different community centers have craft fairs,” said Felicity. “What I’ve been selling is handmade bracelets and jewelry and I’ve said that I’m going to give all the money to the Red Cross that I make.”

When Felicity was 14 years old, she made another donation to the Red Cross to help people affected by disasters. Since then, she spent the last few years saving her earnings to donate more than $600 this summer. Felicity hopes inspire other young kids and teens to get involved and give back.  

“It doesn’t take that much. Sometimes people think that they have to do a big thing like, ‘Oh, I need to start a nonprofit to do something to help. I need to do this big thing,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to be that big to make an impact.”  

Donations, not federal funding, support nearly 100% of Red Cross disaster relief work. Every single donation will make a difference in someone’s life. If you’re interested in giving a financial gift or information on how to get involved, please visit RedCross.org.

Written by Regional Communications Manager Janie Bohlmann.