Beijing Red Cross Foundation

Beijing Red Cross effectively communicates three primary focuses:

1. Rebuild after May earthquake

In addition to multitudes of responses in first aid and medical care during the earthquake, volunteers did unique services such as helping family farms continue to produce income by transporting their crops to market.

There remain 1,000 volunteers working in the area. On weekends, volunteers use their free time to search for victims' still missing.

Dynamic rebuilding continues in liaison with U.S. and other construction companies to build ecologically-based structures in the earthquake area.

2. Safety Education and Rescue

A lesson learned from the catastrophic earthquake is the lack of systemic standards among rescue teams in China. As a result, a national rescue alliance is being formed. The goal is to have every team throughout China begin to determine and implement created standards by the end of 2009.

To assist in training in crisis and disaster response, safety education and rescue, a camp is being developed with Quinghua University. The University will be most helpful in its research to determine most effective practices..

Red Cross also provides safety education and rescue services for members and the public climbing the mountains surrounding Beijing. Red Cross provides free instruction for mountain climbing. People also benefit from GPS tracking, a hotline whose last six digits translate to "Help Me", guidebook, trail signage, etc.

In addition to the general public, Beijing Red Cross also trains unique groups such as firemen in mountain rescue and first aid.

3. Medical Care

In addition to training people in first aid, Beijing has the uniquely placed Academy of China Cancer Center. The Academy works in concert with the pharmaceutical industry -- i.e., Pfizer, etc.

There was considerable interest in meeting with other human service entities for knowledge transfer. In addition to 2 free memberships to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) there was agreement that looking at getting leaders of the Beijing Red Cross to AFP's International Conference. Would be of real benefit to US members.

Some thoughts:

Those of us who work within definites -- i.e., did we or did we not reach the campaign goal, etc. -- must accept that at this time in China's NGO community, there are limited definites in organization leadership hierarchy and autonomy. It is admirable how China NGOs continue to raise resources and serve.


Linda Brown Rivelis, CFRE
President
CAMPAIGN CONSULTATION, Inc.