From People to People
The voluntary social services of the Finnish Red Cross aim at preventing different forms of social exclusion. Every year, 10 000 volunteers participate in the activities.
FRC's volunteer friend visitors and support persons visit homes and institutions to bring recreation to the lonely and people in poor health, to listen and to help in small duties. Volunteers are also needed to support immigrants and prisoners. Many branches also organise recreational activities for the elderly and handicapped.
FRC's Disaster Relief Fund is used to give lump sum assistance in accidents, such as fires, and due to social reasons such as unemployment.
For Your Health!
The FRC encourages citizens to take care of their own psychological and physical well-being, look after those close to them in the same way, prevent accidents and acquire skills needed for coping in everyday life.
People suffered from the current disaster in Japan, read the guidelines for psychological support in Japanese:
The FRC is also involved in AIDS work and runs a national AIDS helpline and organises campaigns. In addition, it trains and finds support persons for HIV infected and their families.
Finnish Red Cross Drug and Alcohol programme includes prevention work and early intervention. We have volunteers who are committed to act as counsellors in schools and various networks in their own expertise. Early intervention model and courses makes it easier and more effective to intervene in cases of substance abuse.
Read more about Drug and Alcohol programme
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For Youth: Support and Action
Young people work in the branches of the Finnish Red Cross either in their own groups or side-by-side with adults. They have started first aid groups that practice regularly and are on duty e.g. in ski slopes and concerts. Some become friend visitors for handicapped or elderly people or immigrants.
The FRC maintains an emergency shelter in four major cities. They offer a temporary place for the night and someone to talk to for young people in trouble.
Outreach work in the streets is on the increase and branches are encouraged to start the activities with incentive training.
Emergency Youth Shelters
Alongside with Immigrants
The refugee activities of the Finnish Red Cross focus on supporting the integration of immigrants and promoting tolerance. The FRC maintains reception centres for asylum seekers and is also prepared to organise the emergency reception of large groups of unexpectedly arriving asylum seekers. FRC's responsibilities also include practical arrangements for family reunification, receiving quota refugees at the airport and tracing work.
Volunteers are trained to become friend visitors for immigrants. Their contacts with Finnish people are further encouraged through activity groups and international meeting points.
The FRC acts as the representative of the UNHCR in Finland in refugee related legal matters and advocates for a human rights based refugee and immigration policy.
Disaster Relief and Development Cooperation
The Finnish Red Cross gives international aid - personnel, funds, material - in response to appeals from the International Movement. There are two main sources for funds: FRC's Disaster Relief Fund and the Finnish government. In recent years, the European Union has also provided funds.
Disaster relief is given to victims of war, conflict and natural disasters. Development cooperation improves the capacities and disaster preparedness of newly established sister societies or those with fewer resources.
The FRC maintains its preparedness with the help of its Disaster Relief Fund, Logistics Centre and International Personnel Reserve. The Disaster Relief Fund provides funds when needed. Funds are collected continuously and preferably as non-earmarked. The biggest single campaign is the Hunger Day.
FRC's International Personnel Reserve comprises about 600 professionals trained on FRC's basic and further training courses. Approx. 150 of them work in international assignments every year.
Tracing services
The Red Cross provides relief for uncertainty by helping lost family members locate each other and communicate with each other.
Blood Transfusion Service Complements the Services
The Blood Transfusion Service complements the national health services and is at the same time an important component of FRC's overall structure.
Three districts have their own health care clinic.
Blood Transfusion Service
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