American Red Cross of Massachusetts

The American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay (ARCMB) operates critical programs and services that improve the lives of women, men and children. ARCMB provides services across 145 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts with a combined population of almost four million. The chapter trains and mobilizes over 2,700 volunteers who support the delivery of services to over a half million people each year. Headquartered in Cambridge, ARCMB has locations in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Haverhill, New Bedford, Peabody, Quincy, and Waltham that serve as local sites for community programs, volunteer recruitment, and disaster preparedness and response. The American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay provides the following services: Disaster Services ARCMB responds to over 420 incidents each year, mostly house fires that affect over 3,000 individuals. In responding to these incidents, ARCMB provides immediate assistance including food, clothing, shelter, financial assistance and other support services such as counseling to assist affected individuals and families during their recovery from a disaster. Health Care Job Training The largest program in the region, Health Care Job Training provides more than 1,500 people each year in eastern Massachusetts with training and certification to become Nurse Assistants and Home Health Aides. Over 90% of the students of the ARCMB program graduate and successfully complete the required state certification program. Over 80% become employed in the healthcare industry working in hospitals, nursing homes and other settings. Health and Safety Training These life-saving courses instruct and certify over 112,000 people a year in a broad range of skills including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillator (AED), first aid, and water safety. Classes are conducted in the workplace and in community settings throughout the region. Food and Nutrition Programs ARCMB provides emergency food assistance to over 131,000 individuals annually through our network of food pantries. Through this program, ARCMB is a key provider in the region’s hunger relief system. International Social Services Last year ARCMB provided over 14,000 people with information about Red Cross humanitarian programs. We also bring families together by providing international tracing services to locate and reunite people who have been separated from their relatives in other countries as a result of armed conflict or natural disasters. We assist families in sending Red Cross messages to lost loved ones. Services to Armed Forces ARCMB is also part of a worldwide network that provides military families with 24-hour emergency communication and financial assistance and assisted nearly 1,000 members of the armed services and their families last year.