Design for the American Red Cross

I’ve volunteered my design work to American Red Cross regions since 2004. Pins that mark volunteers’ hours, posters and flyers that bring new volunteers in, a trailer wrap, shirts, certificates, an annual report and a website, for regions from Central Texas to Greater New York.

Trailer wrap for the American Red Cross of Central Texas, driver side, with a cat, a dog and the line “Helping pets & their people”

A trailer wrap for Central Texas

The largest piece is a full wrap for a Red Cross trailer in Central Texas, with the IFAW and Pets America logos alongside the chapter’s own.

Each side carries the line “Helping pets & their people” on a red band that sweeps up toward the back, with a dog and a cat at either end. The front panel gives the two animals room to look straight at anyone walking toward the trailer.

Pins for volunteers and responders

Every pin has to work at the size of a coin, so they keep to a few flat colors, the red cross and type that stays readable when it’s small.

Service hours

A full series for volunteer hours, from 500 to 10,000, plus one for forty years of service. Each milestone gets its own color, and the 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000 hour pins add a laurel wreath in bronze, silver and gold.

500 hours
1,000 hours
2,000 hours
2,500 hours
3,000 hours
3,500 hours
4,000 hours
4,500 hours
5,000 hours
10,000 hours
Forty years

Disasters, exercises and thanks

US Virgin Islands pin for disaster relief operation DR 412-18, with the islands on the shell of a sea turtle — **US Virgin Islands** For disaster relief operation 412-18 after the hurricanes. The islands sit on the shell of a sea turtle.

Full Scale Exercise pin, Greater New York Region, 2017, with a radiation symbol — **Full Scale Exercise** A radiation symbol for the Greater New York Region’s 2017 full-scale exercise.

Massachusetts Disaster Services pin with the state, snowflakes and a wave, and the storm names Quinn, Riley, Skylar and Toby — **Massachusetts Disaster Services** The state, snowflakes and a breaking wave, with four winter storms named around the rim.

HOPE pin showing a face mask, American Red Cross South Florida Region — **Hope** A face mask pin from the pandemic, made for both the Greater New York and South Florida regions.

Back of Mary’s challenge pin, “Mary put the great in Greater New York”, around a map of the Greater New York region — **American Red Cross Hero** A two-sided challenge pin for Greater New York, shown back first. Both editions have a map of the Greater New York region on the back and “American Red Cross Hero, always there in times of need” around the front. Mary’s edition reads “Mary put the great in Greater New York” on the back, with “NY ♥ U” on the front. The general edition reads “Putting the great in Greater New York” on the back, with the red cross on the front.

Front of Mary’s challenge pin, “American Red Cross Hero, always there in times of need”, around “NY ♥ U” — **American Red Cross Hero** A two-sided challenge pin for Greater New York, shown back first. Both editions have a map of the Greater New York region on the back and “American Red Cross Hero, always there in times of need” around the front. Mary’s edition reads “Mary put the great in Greater New York” on the back, with “NY ♥ U” on the front. The general edition reads “Putting the great in Greater New York” on the back, with the red cross on the front.

Service to the Armed Forces

A poster and flyers for the Red Cross program that supports service members, veterans and their families. A cross, a heart and a pair of combat boots carry the message, so the only words it needs are a question and the volunteer phone number.

The flyers print two to a sheet, with the program’s mission and services on the back.

Two Service to the Armed Forces flyers side by side

Back of the flyers, with the program’s mission statement and services

Celebrating diversity

Work for the Greater New York Region’s Pride Branch. The rainbow “Celebrating Diversity” button was also printed as temporary tattoos, with a volunteer recruitment message on the back.

The 2019 Pride brochure is printed front and back. One side explains how the Red Cross supports LGBTQ+ volunteers and families, and the other asks readers to volunteer, with a QR code to sign up.

Celebrating Diversity button with a red cross inside a rainbow ring

2019 Pride brochure front, “Red Cross supports all families”

2019 Pride brochure back, “Volunteering with the Red Cross”, with a QR code

More volunteer work

Invitation reading “100 years of volunteers”, for the American Red Cross of Central Texas open house — An invitation to the Central Texas open house for 100 years of Red Cross volunteers, February 6, 2016.

Recruitment postcard with a red cross, a heart and “Volunteers” — A 2020 volunteer recruitment postcard.

Certificate of Appreciation from the American Red Cross of Greater New York for disaster response — A certificate of appreciation for disaster responders in Greater New York in 2018, later adapted for the Northeast Division.

2010 Swim-a-Cross shirt with a cartoon whale in a Red Cross helmet — The 2010 Swim-a-Cross shirt for Central Texas, “Helping People, One Lap at a Time”.

Red Cross Initiative Tshirts — “Hope starts with us” volunteer shirts.

Red Cross University Tshirts — Red Cross University alumnus shirts for Central Texas.

Annual report spread with a map of the Central Texas counties the chapter serves — The Central Texas chapter’s 16-page 2010 annual report, with a map of the counties it serves.

RedCrossRSVP.com Retired

The Central Texas chapter wanted a way for volunteers to RSVP for events without hundreds of emails. A form on the chapter’s own website wasn’t possible after the move to a nationally managed CMS, so we came up with the RedCrossRSVP.com domain and I built a site for it. It’s no longer needed now that the Red Cross has newer tools.

Volunteer appreciation video, 2012

A five-minute volunteer appreciation video for the American Red Cross of Central Texas, which I edited for its 2012 Volunteer Recognition Dinner from photos taken by Red Cross volunteers and staff. It moves from fires, tornadoes and other disasters to volunteers handing out water and sharing a laugh with the people they help, with “Heartlines” used by permission of Florence and the Machine.

Volunteer appreciation video, 2014

A three-minute volunteer appreciation video for the American Red Cross of Central Texas, which I edited in 2014 from photos taken by volunteers and staff. It moves from flood response to a run of “Thank you” signs, with music used by permission of Natalie Merchant.