American Red Cross of Southern Missouri

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.​ We have had offices in Missouri and have served the people of Missouri for over 108 years. 

The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that... ...all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope; ...our communities are ready and prepared for disasters; ...everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products; ...all members of our armed services and their families find support and comfort whenever needed; and ...in an emergency, there are always trained individuals nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives.

Since our founding by Clara Barton on May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross has been dedicated to serving people in need. We received our first congressional charter in 1900 and to this day we are tasked by the federal government with providing services to members of the American armed forces and their families as well as providing disaster relief in the United States and around the world.

Our purpose is to meet the immediate disaster-caused needs of individuals, families, and communities.

From small house fires to multi-state natural disasters, the American Red Cross goes wherever we’re needed, so people can have clean water, safe shelter and hot meals when they need them most.

We respond to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year and 95% of our disaster relief workers are volunteers The vast majority of disasters we respond to are home fires.

The Red Cross helps members of the military, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with, and respond to, the challenges of military service. Each year, the Red Cross provides more than 471,000 services to service members, veterans and their families by leveraging a network of some 14,700 volunteers around the world. Local Red Cross offices develop and maintain relationships with key community partners.

Military families rely on the Red Cross to help them identify their needs and connect them to the most appropriate Red Cross and community resources. This key Red Cross service ranges from responding to emergency needs for food, clothing, and shelter, referrals to counseling services (e.g., financial, legal, mental health), respite care for caregivers, and other resources that meet the unique needs of local military members, veterans and their families.