Red Cross Activity Guides
The American Red Cross has developed fun activity guides for your group to use to help spread the word about the Red Cross and its mission: to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
Activity guides can be used by Red Cross Clubs, youth groups, or classes who want to organize around Red Cross mission-related activities.
These activity guides will help you lead Red Cross activities. No matter which activity you choose, get in touch with your local Red Cross region or Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) station. The Red Cross can provide you with helpful resources and guidelines to make your activity a success. Find your local region here.
Red Cross Pathways: Pathways is an exciting resource we hope you will enjoy using at your Club meetings and with your fellow volunteers! The goal of Pathways is to compile personal involvement timelines from youth and young adult volunteers to highlight unique points and trends in our individual Red Cross journeys. These timelines can be publicized on personal social media platforms and shared within your region (consider their social media channels) and Red Cross Club. Pathways of varied experiences by Red Cross youth and young adults aim to inspire others to seek leadership positions and diverse volunteer opportunities in their regions. These timelines can also help identify and explore other opportunities of involvement or to showcase the path that each volunteer took in their Red Cross journey.We’ve included a sample of Pathways below. Now, it’s your turn! Download the template provided here and create your own Pathway with the instructions listed. Feel free to share this with others to talk about your unique Red Cross journey or as an ice breaker to get to know each other better!
Preparedness Guides
A Kit Drive activity in which essential preparedness items are collected, assembled in a pack and delivered to those who need it most.
Fire Safety Canvassing (Virtual)
This virtual activity guide will help you turn your Fire Safety Canvassing event into a successful virtual campaign.
A powerful school-based event that gives students the opportunity to personalize disaster.
A five-day campaign that aims to motivate students to take action in preparing themselves and their peers in case of a disaster!
A party that utilizes an impending ‘zombie apocalypse’ to help educate your school and community how to prepare for disasters like a zombie outbreak.
Zombie Apocalypse Party (Virtual)
This supplemental guide will help you turn your Zombie Apocalypse Party into a successful event for a virtual setting. The original Activity Guide with all resources can be found here.
Teaching Water Safety to Youth
This activity guide focuses on empowering volunteers to help raise awareness of safe behavior in, on, and around the water.
Blood Services Guides
An event that gives community members the opportunity to donate blood with the American Red Cross.
A competition between digital advocates where members of your group will use Twitter to thank blood donors.
A community dinner hosted in the days leading up to a blood drive.
A socially engaging way to raise sickle cell awareness and share educational material
Fundraising Guides
A coin drive fundraising competition that engages your group with elementary school students to raise money for the American Red Cross.
A service-based group fundraising event that allows community members to utilize your group to perform various outdoor tasks.
A fundraising activity where teams of participants compete against one another to complete a series of mission-related tasks.
There are so many ways that you can raise money for the Red Cross. Here are some fundraising ideas you can use to help get you started!
A social fundraising event for young professionals to mingle, network, learn about and raise money for the American Red Cross.
A service-based fundraising activity where you seek donations for the time you spend volunteering.
A great fundraising event where you invite the community to eat a delicious meal, and learn more about the Red Cross’s international work.
The Dodgeball tournament is a fundraiser and friendly competition between school clubs, Red Cross Clubs, or even entire schools to raise money to the Red Cross.
International Services Guides
Teach International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by watching a movie and discussing how IHL rules and principles apply. Invite student groups, Red Cross volunteers, or anyone interested in learning more about IHL.
Measles and Rubella Awareness Campaign
The Measles and Rubella Awareness Campaign is an opportunity for youth and young adults to utilize their personal social media accounts to spread education and share information about the Measles & Rubella Initiative. This Red Criss mission-related activity helps shed light on the importance of our international lifesaving work.
- COVID-19 Supplemental Guide: Use this guide for additional information as you promote any Measles and Rubella activities. Due to the ongoing efforts around the world to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, we want to help make sure there is no confusion on the objectives for your activities. Your Measles and Rubella Initiative Awareness Campaign or Vaccinate a Village fundraiser should focus only on Measles and Rubella vaccination efforts.
Missing Maps is a collaborative humanitarian project that aims to preemptively map populations at risk. Using satellite imagery, remote volunteers help identify features like roads and buildings. MAPathons are an engaging opportunity designed to bring together Red Cross volunteers while they participate in Missing Maps projects.
Raid Cross is a role-playing simulation activity that helps students understand the basic rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) – and recognize that even war has limits.
Vaccinate a Village is a fundraising activity in which youth become American Red Cross Measles & Rubella Initiative advocates and help raise funds to vaccinate children and save lives.
- COVID-19 Supplemental Guide: Use this guide for additional information as you promote any Measles and Rubella activities. Due to the ongoing efforts around the world to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, we want to help make sure there is no confusion on the objectives for your activities. Your Measles and Rubella Initiative Awareness Campaign or Vaccinate a Village fundraiser should focus only on Measles and Rubella vaccination efforts.
Vaccinate a Village (Virtual Fundraiser)
This supplemental guide will help you turn your Measles & Rubella Initiative Vaccinate a Village activity into a successful campaign for a virtual setting. The original Activity Guide with all resources can be found here.
Services to the Armed Forces Guides
This event is a birthday party hosted at a local Veteran’s hospital or veterans program for all the birthdays in a particular month.
Totes of Hope is a personal care kit drive in which items for homeless veterans are collected, assembled in a backpack or tote bag, and distributed through veterans hospitals or veterans outreach programs.
If you have questions or need more information about the guides, please email youthinvolvement@redcross.org.