American Red Cross of Greater Chicago - Auxiliary Society

About us

With the help of more than 4,000 passionate, dedicated volunteers just like you, the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago serves more than 9.6 million people in northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Counties within our jurisdiction include Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Lake, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, DeKalb, and Kankakee in Illinois, and Jasper, Lake, and Newton in Indiana.

Our Mission

As reflected in the Red Cross mission, the Chicago Region seeks to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to natural and human-caused disasters through the immediate mobilization of people and resources and the provision of community, workplace, and school-based training.

Beyond disaster relief, the Region delivers Community Disaster Education, First Aid/CPR, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other types of life-saving health and safety training to thousands of people across our region to help people prevent, prepare, and respond to emergencies.

Our History

The Eastland disaster brings the Red Cross to people's aid for the first time.

On the morning of July 24, 1915, more than 2,500 Western Electric employees and their families boarded the lake passenger steamer Eastland for a Michigan City outing. Almost immediately, however, the steamer tipped over and sank, leading to a loss of 844 lives – and making it the city’s worst disaster at the time. Organized just six weeks before the accident, the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago and its volunteers were on the scene within an hour of the tragedy.

About the Auxiliary Society

The Red Cross Auxiliary Society is a dedicated group of young philanthropic professionals who support the mission of the American Red Cross through outreach and event-based fundraising activities. To learn more about joining the Auxiliary society click here! http://www.redcross.org/il/chicago/local-programs/auxiliary