Domestic Operations
The Blood Transfusion Service complements the national health services and is at the same time an important component of FRC's overall structure. Three of the districts have their own health care clinic.
The FRC also 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. FRC has volunteers who act as counsellors in schools and other communities in their own expertise.
The FRC holds a fundraiser known as Hunger Day every autumn, usually in September. The campaign has an annual theme; in 2006 people were reminded how desertification, flooding and storms most affect the children under five years of age. On the day volunteer fundraisers can be seen in front of grocery stores and other public places. In schools school meals can be reduced and served, for example, without salad, bread or milk.
The FRC trains over 80,000 people yearly on the first aid and CPR courses for the general public and companies. FRC has more than 550 first aid groups around the country with more than 8,000 volunteers. These groups are on duty daily in the majority of public events in Finland. They can also help in search and rescue when requested by the authorities. FRC also coordinates the Voluntary Rescue Service which is formed by over 40 civic organisations and over 30,000 volunteers.
The FRC has a national emergency group of psychologists which organises and coordinates psycho-social support in situations they are needed, for example after the Jokela school shooting.
FRC's Disaster Relief Fund is used to give assistance in accidents and due to social reasons. Domestic aid was about FIM 3.6 million (USD 955,000) in 2001.
Read more about this topic: Finnish Red Cross
Famous quotes containing the words domestic and/or operations:
“The effect of having other interests beyond those domestic works well. The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one’s appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship.”
—Amelia Earhart (1897–1937)
“There is a patent office at the seat of government of the universe, whose managers are as much interested in the dispersion of seeds as anybody at Washington can be, and their operations are infinitely more extensive and regular.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)