By Alana Mauger

For over half of our country’s 250-year history, the American Red Cross has cared for our communities. This Red Cross Month, we’re honoring the evolution of how our volunteers deliver support when help can’t wait.

Red Cross Month began during World War II, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt called on individuals to address growing humanitarian needs. What started as a national call to action has become a community tradition—reaffirming the power of compassion and the impact we can make together.

A Multigenerational Portrait

We’re digging into data that paints a multigenerational portrait of our Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) volunteers.  From Gen Z to the Silent Generation, people of all ages comprise our region’s nearly 3,300 active volunteers.  Our demographics reveal some surprising insights:

• Gen Z (ages 13-28) is the fastest-growing and largest group of volunteers at 48%, driven largely by growth in student-led Red Cross clubs.
• The next largest cohort at 19% is the Baby Boomers (ages 61-79), followed closely by Millennials (ages 29-44) at 17%.
• While fewer in number, Gen X (ages 45-60) comprises about 7.5% of volunteers who often anchor core mission roles.
• The Silent Generation (ages 81+) is the smallest cohort at 1% but contributes a legacy of service that often spans multiple decades.

“Generation after generation, our volunteers demonstrate that compassion is one of our greatest strengths,” said CEO Jennifer Graham. “In moments when help can’t wait, Red Cross volunteers of all ages and backgrounds come together to offer care, comfort and hope. Your commitment reflects a shared humanitarian spirit that connects us across time and continues to make a meaningful difference through our lifesaving mission.”

Gen Z Leads the Way

Gen Z is the fastest growing and largest Red Cross cohort, representing nearly half of all active SEPA volunteers. This surge reflects our strong youth and young adult programming, including 28 student-led Red Cross clubs across local high schools and colleges. Nearly 900 students participate in these clubs, collectively contributing more than 1,500 service hours so far this academic year.

But Red Cross clubs are only part of the story. Many youth and young adult volunteers engage directly in the broader Red Cross mission. During this fiscal year, Gen Z volunteers have already contributed more than 8,000 service hours across all lines of service.

SEPA’s Youth in Action

Some youth volunteers take on an exceptional range of responsibilities.

Unionville High School senior Anika Harris co-founded her school’s Red Cross Club two years ago. As president of the roughly 120-member club, she’s strengthening her leadership skills by organizing blood drives and fundraisers, coordinating CPR and International Humanitarian Law trainings and helping educate students on preparedness topics such as smoke alarms and flooding. Anika also serves as a blood donor ambassador at the West Chester Blood Donation Center, greeting, checking in and thanking donors to ensure they have a positive experience. Additionally, she represents SEPA as a youth and young adult ambassador with the American Red Cross National Youth Council.

Anika says the Red Cross encourages young people and provides the tools they need to turn their ideas into action. “The emphasis on youth involvement has really been surprising and heartwarming,” she shared. “I appreciate the way the Red Cross cares about youth and their perspective on things.”

Like Anika, Harriton High School junior Zain Ahmad founded and now leads his school’s Red Cross Club—but his involvement began even earlier. At age 13, Zain joined his mom at a local Sound the Alarm event. Inspired, he began volunteering with the Home Fire Campaign and youth preparedness team. The following year, Zain joined the regional communications team and has since written more than two dozen blog stories. He also serves on the region’s Green Team, helping guide the implementation of local sustainability initiatives.

Zain says he started a Red Cross club at his school to help students see how “accessible and impactful volunteering could be.” He added, “Many of my peers assumed the Red Cross was only about blood drives, but I wanted to show them the breadth of opportunities that make it possible for anyone to contribute, in ways both big and small.”

In the fall, Zain was recognized nationally as a nominee for the Red Cross Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leaders.

Join the movement

This Red Cross Month, we’re honoring how people today deliver support when help can’t wait. Every contribution matters — visit redcross.org to get involved by volunteering, making a financial donation, giving blood or taking a class in lifesaving skills.