The American Red Cross mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.  We do this by helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies, and providing disaster relief to the people of Hawaii.

The Hawaii State Chapter was founded in 1917 and has assisted victims of every major disaster in the islands' history, including the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hilo tsunami, volcanic eruptions, Big Isle earthquake, Hurricanes Iwa and Iniki, New Years & Manoa floods, Kaloko Dam burst, Sacred Falls landslide, Xerox shooting, air transportation crashes, and hostage situations. We respond to disasters such as house fires every 4 days. Although established by Congressional Charter in 1905, the American Red Cross is NOT a government agency and must rely on the generosity of Hawaii’s people to provide critical services to the community. All disaster training, services, and financial assistance to victims is free. Additionally, the American Red Cross teaches people how to save lives and providing emergency communication between deployed soldiers and their loved ones. We are a leading provider of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, automated external defibrillator (AED), lifeguard, and water safety training