American Red Cross Reviews

My brother's house is literally deteriorating. We reached out to Red Cross because a section of the bedroom wall caved in and a raccoon got inside. We were hopeful when someone came to assess the damage. They mentioned they might be able to find some volunteers and possibly help us secure a tarp on the roof. They gave us a case number and we thought help was finally coming. Then they texted later saying they're not a repair service and we'd have to hire someone ourselves. We don't have the money for that. What a letdown. I wasted an entire day of work when they visited, and we got nothing in return.

I think your policies need to be reconsidered. You constantly talk about blood shortages, yet I've been turned away twice recently. First time they said my blood pressure was high even though my iron was perfect. Today my BP was actually better than before, but they rejected me because my iron was 0.1 below their cutoff. It was 12.4 when I needed 12.5, which seems ridiculous. Don't complain about needing blood when you're turning away eligible donors. Also, switching from the finger prick to that thumb measurement tool doesn't seem accurate.

I usually give blood at another center in Colorado, but decided to try the location in Tucson while visiting. My first appointment got canceled and rescheduled without much notice. On both occasions, I sat around waiting for over 30 minutes past my scheduled time just to start the intake process. The whole operation feels disorganized and doesn't seem to value donors' schedules. My other center gets me through everything in less than 45 minutes total. I'm not coming back to this organization.

I went to donate blood yesterday and had a really frustrating time. The person handling my intake was incredibly cold and unwelcoming. I filled out everything online beforehand thinking it would speed things up, but that same unfriendly staff member made me answer over 40 questions all over again! How does an online registration actually make anything faster when they ignore what you already submitted?

Your mission is supposed to be helping people and saving lives. So why does the location in Salem, Oregon treat homeless individuals so poorly? How can you stop someone from handing out water during 100 degree heat and then tell those people to move across a busy street, especially when someone has a large dog with them? That was a dangerous situation in extreme heat. You claim to help everyone, but I don't see that friendly, caring attitude anymore. It's really disappointing.

I spent $40 taking their first aid, CPR, and AED certification class. After completing it, the certification documentation disappeared into thin air. I tried reaching out multiple times for help tracking it down but got nowhere. The whole experience felt like a scam. Their processes seem shady.

I've lived in California my whole life, grew up in a military family, and have consistently tried to volunteer with this organization. I know plenty of other folks who wanted to volunteer too, and none of us ever received a callback. It's always voicemail no matter which number we call. I genuinely want to understand why volunteer opportunities aren't being filled. I've heard from several people with the same experience. My heart goes out to those who truly depend on their services.

Absolutely terrible experience. The phlebotomists were clearly unprepared. During my donation, they couldn't locate my vein properly and ended up causing a blood clot that cut off circulation. Why would anyone risk their health by donating when staff doesn't seem trained for the job?

This is not actually a charity, despite what they claim. Stay away. They operate like a for-profit while maintaining nonprofit status to generate revenue. Their 2021 leadership compensation was enormous: executive salaries ranged from $400k to $780k annually. The organization's operating budget hit $2.8 billion, with the biggest portion going toward staff compensation including salaries, pension, and benefits. Nearly 18,000 employees shared about $1.35 billion in total compensation. These numbers don't reflect a true charitable mission focused on helping people in need.

The staff members were pleasant enough, but the email promotions were seriously misleading. Be careful and read the fine print! They advertised a $45 incentive for platelet donors. I donated back in August and received only a $10 gift card in return. When I contacted their customer service about the promised promotion, they showed zero interest in helping resolve the discrepancy. I won't be donating again. It's a bait and switch tactic to get people in the door.