Helping-the-needy

Unbeknownst to all, the International Committee of the Red Cross has been in existence as early as the laying down of the foundations of Humanitarian Law well before the First World War. From then till now, the organization has provided millions upon millions of people, assistance in terms of food, medical supplies and services from its current base in Geneva (where the convention of Humanitarian law was drafted and signed by most nations).

Anywhere there is conflict such as the current Darfur Humanitarian crisis, the Iraqi refugee crisis that has resulted from the American Invasion of the said country and many more similar incidents, the Red Cross is in the forefront for all these relief efforts. With local offices in its many member nations and along with its several arms such as the Red Crescent which handles crisis management in Muslim countries (which is necessary due to the many cultural differences in these nations) they have always provided the swiftest if not some of the first relief resources in cases of natural disasters. They conduct training of their personnel and country representatives through experts from Switzerland making them some of the most reliable and skilled response teams capable of responding to most disasters and crisis. Funds come from private and public sources mainly through contributions which can be aimed for specific crisis relief or the Red Cross organization as a whole. Switzerland has always been a neutral country ever since the First World War so it is the ideal place to have the headquarters for one of the world’s largest charitable organization.

Ask anyone who has done charity work and they would all give you the same answer, it’s worth the risk and effort. Humans have long since accepted the fact that there are those who have and those who don’t. This can be in terms of food, health care, housing and so on and so forth. Many people even in the United States suffer and go on living everyday without some of life’s basics. Healthcare is one of the most problematic areas for as prices rise due to cost of implementation, more and more people are finding it difficult to afford the amount of protection they need. That’s where charities step in and augment the system by providing services and skills that would otherwise have to be paid for by the government which is currently feeling the strain of a pending recession.

May it be in curb-side health checks to neighborhood kitchens, these help Americans feed the homeless and other people in need without a need for the tons of forms and other requirements of government services. The elderly and foreign immigrants, many of whom are illegal are the ones who suffer most. Even with recent drives to overhaul and re-work the health care system, there is still much to be done in terms of getting the job done and getting the services and resources to those who need them most.

Volunteers know that the simple task of treating a person with dignity and recognizing them for who they are is worth a thousand words to these people who repay your generosity with unspoken words. Volunteer work is still one of the most rewarding experiences for and individual for it has rewards that are without bounds. Call it heart-warming but getting gratitude from someone who does not have anything is more than enough to make your day a happy and self-fulfilled one that no one can take away from you.

The International Committee of the Red Cross – On the front lines

Working for Charities, a life changing experience