105 years of PCK: We have been helping from the beginning – without end

From the very beginning of its existence, the PRC has been closely linked to the history of Poland. It was present at the most significant historical events such as: the armed conflict of 1920, the May coup of 1926, the major natural disasters of the Second Polish Republic, the September campaign of 1939, the exhumation of the Katyn graves, the Warsaw Uprising, the reconstruction of Poland after the war, the changes of 1989, the flood of the century in 1997, the Covid19 pandemic, and the conflict in Ukraine.

For 105 years, the Polish Red Cross has been responding to current social needs. Under the emblem of the red cross, people act who serve others. Regardless of origin, beliefs, or political orientation: we all share the need for selfless helping. Many volunteers, bringing aid to others, sacrifice their own health or even lives. Each of these individuals deserves great respect and remembrance – says Michał Mikołajczyk, a member of the Board of the Polish Red Cross.

In the initial period (1919 – 1923), the work of the Red Cross in Poland took place in conditions similar to armed conflict. The problem of convalescents and the disabled, who found it difficult to find a place in society, was pressing. Unemployment was a mass phenomenon, affecting largely demobilized soldiers. Aid to the excluded became a permanent part of the Polish Red Cross program.The challenge was the fight against infectious diseases, in which the PRC clinics achieved successes. In the countryside, largely devoid of basic medical care, sanitary education was promoted.

An unresolved problem of the interwar period was homelessness. The Polish Red Cross tried to provide people in a homelessness crisis: medical care, outpatient and hospital care, as well as necessary medicines and personal hygiene products, while children from these families received free meals and vitamins. The campaign of hosting poor children at the tables of wealthier families was promoted, which had a profound humanitarian dimension. The emergency aid campaign also included victims of natural disasters (floods, fires, etc.), field hospitals and dressing stations were organized: equipped with professional equipment.

Medical care and humanitarian aid required training of personnel and skill improvement. An educational program for sanitary ambulance sisters (called PRC Sisters) was of key importance. Special courses were conducted for rescuers and rescue teams. At that time, horses were used to transport the injured and sick, but also the first cars. The use of an airplane by the Polish Red Cross made a wide impact, considered at the time as proof of progress. One of the beautiful chapters of the 105-year history was the organization of mass blood donation by the PRC.It still exists today.
Activities during World War II took place under extremely difficult conditions. Red Cross personnel were present on battlefields and at urban barricades, everywhere dedicating themselves to fulfilling their global mission of preventing or alleviating human suffering. After the war, PRC facilities began to emerge across the country, combining the functions of a medical clinic, shelter, community center, and a warehouse distributing clothing and food. The

Information and Search Bureau assisted, which in 1945 alone received 1,020,845 inquiries and was able to respond in 120,364 cases.

Today, as the oldest humanitarian organization in Poland, the Red Cross has a rich tradition, and at the same time is modern and boldly looking to the future.

2030 Strategy is based on 3 pillars of action: readiness to act in times of crisis, health and prevention initiatives, and societal activation and reduction of social inequalities. The mission of the PRC remains to prevent and alleviate human suffering and to protect human dignity, without any discrimination based on nationality, race, gender, or beliefs. The organization helps, among others, children and the elderly, sick and injured, migrants, and refugees.In 2022, the PRC provided social assistance to over 1.3 million beneficiaries offering, among others: nutrition, food packages, hygiene kits, clothing, and financial assistance. The PRC operates 13 emergency aid warehouses, which are used by over 96,200 people each year. More than 4,570 PRC sisters daily care for the elderly, sick, and disabled. Seniors benefit from activities offered by 26 PRC Senior Clubs, while children and youth can attend 38 community centers.
After February 24, 2022, a very important group of PRC beneficiaries became refugees from Ukraine.

The Polish Red Cross continuously develops the nationwide

Rescue System, equipping its rescuers with modern equipment: special vehicles, drones, mobile sanitary points. Within the system, Humanitarian Assistance Groups consisting of trained volunteers are established. An important aspect of the PRC's activity remains the National Search and Information Bureau. The oldest humanitarian organization in Poland still promotes voluntary blood donation. It conducts social campaigns, spreads health education, and organizes collections for those in need. Assistance would not be possible without donors and volunteers.

The 105th anniversary of the establishment of the Polish Red Cross is held under the slogan: Helping from the beginning - endlessly., wyposażając swoich ratowników w nowoczesny sprzęt: specjalne samochody, drony, mobilne punkty sanitarne. W ramach systemu tworzone są Grupy Pomocy Humanitarnej, złożone z przeszkolonych wolontariuszy. Ważnym aspektem działalności PCK pozostaje Krajowe Biuro Poszukiwań i Informacji. Najstarsza organizacja humanitarna w Polsce nadal promuje honorowe krwiodawstwo. Prowadzi kampanie społeczne, szerzy edukację zdrowotną, organizuje zbiórki dla potrzebujących. Pomoc nie byłaby możliwa bez darczyńców oraz wolontariuszy.

105. rocznica powstania Polskiego Czerwonego Krzyża odbywa się pod hasłem: Pomagamy od początku – bez końca.