The James Madison High School Red Cross Club aims to promote peace and safety though small but thoughtful acts of kindness in their community. The club functions under the guidance and auspices of the National Capital Region Red Cross. The American Red Cross is as an independent partner of the Red Cross Global Humanitarian Network. The American Red Cross's mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
The Madison High School Red Cross Club was restarted in the ‘25/’26 school year after several years of hiatus. The Club is led by Co-Presidents, Juniors Audrey Tan and Allison Xu who devote on average 5 hours a month each to the club. Audrey and Allison said they wanted to restart the club at Madison after noticing that “there were a lot of service clubs in our school which are kind of similar and we wanted to try doing a service club that's more focused on health.” Audrey and Allison are both interested in the healthcare field and felt that volunteering with the Red Cross club would allow them to make an impact on a wide range of community needs. They added that a focus on health and safety provided the club with an opportunity to further the cause of peace by helping to provide a sense of safety and security for those in need.
The club has nearly 20 regular attenders of their monthly meetings but has had as many as 70 attend actively focused events. This year the club, in coordination with the National Capital Red Cross, created more than 50 handmade cards for veterans with messages of hope and appreciation for their past service. A second card event recognized first responders who serve the Vienna community with 30 handmade cards. In addition, this Fall the club sponsored a toy drive to provide a bright Holiday Season for the community’s neediest families.
As club officers, Audrey and Allison express the club’s pride in the Red Cross mission of response to natural disasters and promoting a sense of security for all by focusing on health and safety for all.