By Bill Thawley

The Junior Red Cross started in September 1917. Initiated by Woodrow Wilson and under the direction of Henry Pomeroy Davison, chairman of the Red Cross war council, the Junior Red Cross was created after realizing the invaluable contributions children could make to support the relief efforts during WWI. Knitting wristlets and sweaters, alongside their mothers, youngsters found unique opportunities to help.

The zeal and patriotism of the children knew no bounds. They joined the Junior Red Cross as a school program and part of their local Red Cross chapter. Club dues of 25 cents per member contributed to their school fund, which was used to help finance their humanitarian efforts. The children’s creativity on how to raise additional funds took hold. During the rainy season in Minnesota, a youngster stood on the street corner with an umbrella, offering to take people home for five cents. Children throughout the country held bazaars, grew gardens and sold produce, collected discarded items and sold them for recycling, harvested castor oil beans from vacant lots, and collected wool from the trees and fences of the sheep ranges, among other resourceful efforts.

While appearing minimal, these grassroots fundraisers yielded thousands of dollars. The money raised was used to help those in need. Wooden toys, sweaters, socks, mittens, and other pieces of clothing were purchased or made and sent overseas to Serbia, Italy, Russia, Romania, France, and Belgium. There were many refugees in Europe and the Middle East, all received aid with great joy. Within four months of being established, the Junior Red Cross was responsible for delivering 250,000 refugee garments to the afflicted in the war-torn countries.

The school program was administered in about 60,000 schools, no small task yet managed admirably by the Red Cross. There were children of many nationalities in the school clubs, and they all wore their Red Cross buttons proudly. Almost 11 million children participated in the Junior Red Cross during World War I.

Today, our Red Cross Clubs carry on supporting those in need, with clubs existing in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. They may not hold umbrellas or knit garments, but they still raise money, sponsor blood drives, and perform other tasks to help deliver our humanitarian efforts worldwide.