Did you know that every 2 seconds, someone in the United States needs blood? Where does this blood come from? The American Red Cross is a nonprofit humanitarian organization. It assists in disaster relief and provides emergency services to those in need. The American Red Cross has been around for over 100 years and has come a long way in the process. The American Red Cross was founded on May 21, 1881 by Clara Barton. In the late 1850s, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work in the United States Patent Office. Clara Barton was one of the women to gain employment in the federal government. Clara wanted to help Civil War soldiers, so she gathered supplies for the Union Army. In 1862, Clara Barton was on the battlefield at Fredericksburg, Virginia, helping wounded soldiers. She also helped wounded and involved soldiers at Antietam. In the early 1870s, Clara Barton helped a humanitarian organization called the International Red Cross. When she returned home, she decided to create an American branch. The American Red Cross was established to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to wars, American soldiers, and victims affected by natural disasters. Some of the first relief operations coordinated by the American Red Cross were the Johnstown floods of 1889 and Galveston floods of 1900. During World War I, a door-to-door service program was created to assist families soldiers. Approximately 22,800 (18,000 general field nurses and 4,800 ambulance drivers) American Red Cross nurses provided medical assistance to American soldiers during World War I. Many nurses lost their lives during the war, 296 nurses and 127 ambulance drivers to be exact. ..... middle of paper ......4."History of the ICRC: since 1945." - ICRC. The International Red Cross, March 27, 2014. Web. May 02, 2014. “Red Cross Nursing.” » American Red Cross. The American Red Cross, 2014. Web. May 02, 2014.Honey, Mike. "Banned for life: Why gay men still can't donate blood - NBC News." NBC News. NBC News, July 14. Web. May 2, 2014. “Tips for donating blood. » Shelbyville Times-Gazette. Times-Gazette, May 1, 2014. Web. May 2, 2014. “What is a blood transfusion? » -NHLBI, NIH. Ministry of Health and Social Services, January 30, 2012. Web. May 2, 2014. “Blood Types.” Info please. Info please, 2007. Web. May 2, 2014. Somervill, Barbara A. Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross. Minneapolis, MN: CompassPoint, 2007. Print. Stiehm, Jamie. “Compassion under fire.” The New York Times Company. The New York Times, December 9. 2011. Internet. May 2 2014.