The American Red Cross Wisconsin Region responds to home fires, spring flooding along the Mississippi River and its Wisconsin tributaries, tornado events in the southern part of the state, and the ice storms and blizzards that can cut off rural communities. Its blood collections serve hospital systems across Wisconsin, including Aurora Health Care and SSM Health. Here is how to give blood or money, volunteer, and get help after a disaster.
The state gets a bit of everything: river flooding in spring, tornado events concentrated in southern Wisconsin, and severe ice storms and blizzards in winter. Each hazard triggers the same Red Cross playbook of shelters, emergency supplies, and casework, scaled to the event. Volunteers do most of that work, which is why the region recruits and trains year-round rather than waiting for the next flood crest.
Home fires remain the most frequent single response statewide, and the assistance is identical whether one family or one county is affected: lodging, food, clothing, and recovery help at no cost. For disaster assistance in Wisconsin, call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Blood collected in Wisconsin supplies hospital systems across the state, including Aurora Health Care and SSM Health. Appointments can be booked at redcrossblood.org or by phone at 1-800-RED-CROSS, and mobile drives reach communities well beyond the metro areas.
A first donation is straightforward: eat a solid meal, drink water, bring ID, and plan for about an hour. Repeat whole blood donors can give again after roughly eight weeks. Donor centers also collect platelets and plasma on longer appointments, and any Wisconsin employer, school, or congregation can sponsor a drive through the same site.
Donations at redcross.org buy what responders need close to the event instead of trucking goods in, which is why the Red Cross asks for money rather than supplies. Monthly gifts fund readiness between disasters.
Volunteer roles run from shelter operations to casework, with training provided before deployment. Chapters also teach CPR and first aid classes across the state, which doubles as a fundraiser for the training mission.
Look up any charity in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov to confirm 501(c)(3) status, then check Charity Navigator. Keep written acknowledgments for gifts of $250 and above.
Sources: American Red Cross — Wisconsin Region official site (redcross.org); our Wisconsin charity guide research. Retrieved July 2026. We are not affiliated with American Red Cross — Wisconsin Region and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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