"I Didn't Know That!"

Myth:  The American Red Cross only trains people in First Aid and CPR.

FACT:  The Twin Cities Red Cross provides dozens of life-saving and life-changing courses. They include: 

• Training teenagers to be babysitters

• Giving hope to a new workforce by training nurse assistants

• Training emergency medical technicians to save your life at a game or concert

• Training non-techies to use an automated external defibrillators to save a life

• Teaching Minnesotans of every age how to swim in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”  

• Training people to provide HIV/AIDS education in our community

Myth: The American Red Cross is a government agency. 

FACT: The life-saving programs and services of Twin Cities Red Cross depends solely on the generous support of Twin Cities’ residents, businesses and foundations. Your contributions provide free emergency assistance to your neighbors and help us teach our community to prevent, prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies – tornadoes to terrorism, pet first-aid to pandemic flu.

Myth: The American Red Cross only services are “blood and flood” – blood collection and disaster services. 

FACT: The Twin Cities Red Cross works all across the metro, enlisting professional staff and dedicated volunteers to: 

• Mobilize to the scene of fires and other disasters to provide comfort

• Advocate disaster preparedness whether for severe weather, fires, choking and poisoning prevention, pandemic flu or terrorism

• Provide seniors rides to the doctor

• Counsel victims of domestic abuse

• Help military families communicate with loved ones overseas

• Relay messages between family members in refugee camps and their loved ones in the Twin Cities

• Provide medical help at public sporting and community events

• Educate our community about HIV/AIDS

• Educate our growing minority communities about lifesaving skills through culturally-specific programs

• Teach kids about nutrition, fitness, tobacco abuse, violence prevention

• Facilitate the sale of AEDs (automated external defibrillators) and training to businesses, churches and individuals

And yes, we’re proud of our role in times of floods, and our year-round commitment to encourage you to donate blood.