About

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge lit up in red for national March is Red Cross Month 2012 (photo: Paul Loftland)

Welcome to the new blog of the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Chapter of the American Red Cross. The SEPA Red Cross has a unique role in serving as the safety net for people in our region in their hour of greatest need.

As a partner of a network of 186 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide, the SEPA Chapter was founded in 1916 as a chartered unit of the American National Red Cross and serves the nearly 4 million people of Montgomery, Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware and Bucks counties.

History

The SEPA Chapter of the American Red Cross is marking more than 95 years of service to Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Chester, and Bucks Counties. SEPA is one of the largest American Red Cross chapters in the country, and has a long and proud history of providing comfort and relief to those most in need. In addition to providing disaster relief services to thousands of people every year, up until December 2009, SEPA Chapter provided volunteer support to the Penn Jersey Blood Services Region.

In April 2003, SEPA Chapter became the only chapter in the country to have a Red Cross House, a temporary housing facility for victims of disaster.

SEPA Chapter sent hundreds of volunteers to assist following Hurricane Katrina, played an integral support and fundraising role following the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, and is consistently honored by local businesses and organizations for its commitment to helping those in need.

Mission

As reflected in the Red Cross mission, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter 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.