In 1990, the American Red Cross established the World War II and Holocaust Program, creating a special unit that assists with inquiries, through local American Red Cross chapters, for those seeking information on family members separated by the events of the Second World War and Holocaust (1933-1952). Although the American Red Cross has been tracing victims of the Third Reich since the mid-1930s, efforts were boosted following the release in 1989 of documents from archival repositories in the Soviet Union. The records, including 70,000 death records from Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, list the names of 130,000 prisoners forced to work in German industrial firms. Between 1990 and 1996, over 23,000 tracing requests have been received from people in the United States. The effort has located and reunited over 465 people; confirmed the deaths of over 700 family members; and provided documentation to people who were in forced labor camps, enabling them to seek reparations. The answers to these tracing requests, which often can take longer than one year to complete, have brought a measure of peace to relatives concerned about their loved ones for over half-a-century. The American Red Cross is anxious to reach many more people and assist them in their search for loved ones. Those interested should contact their local American Red Cross chapter. Those living outside the United States should contact their Red Cross/Red Crescent society or the Magen David Adom in Israel.

Repeated windstorms and flooding after 21 hurricanes battered the Florida and Alabama coastline forced many residents from their homes and into Red Cross shelters. During the hurricane season of 1995 (June 1 through November 30), 113,514 people were given assistance, and 1,167,338 meals were served. Concerned for the welfare of children in affected areas, the Red Cross provided them and their parents with disaster mental health services. While parents met with Red Cross caseworkers to assess their disaster-caused needs, the children kept themselves busy using Red Cross Hurricane Coloring Books, containing pictures of the storms. Because children's art shows how they are coping with disaster, their pictures served as catalysts for discussions between parents, children, and relief workers. From June through November 1995, the Red Cross spent $40 million on relief to victims of the storms. Hurricane Marilyn, which struck the Caribbean on September 14, affecting Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Croix was among the most costly of storms, with projected expenses in Red Cross relief efforts at $20 million. Nine of the twelve Red Cross centers in the Caribbean were still operating through November 2, 1995.

On April 19, 1995, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City stunned the nation. This horrific tragedy, which claimed 168 lives, triggered an extraordinary response. American Red Cross first aid and relief workers were on the scene within minutes. As response efforts grew, 9,000 local volunteers were joined by others from across the nation, helping the victims cope with tragedy and trauma. Red Cross mass care workers provided food for families and rescuers and arranged housing for 483 people whose homes were damaged. Logistics workers handled warehousing and distribution of tons of supplies and equipment. Fear gripped the nation as young children across the country asked their parents if the bombers would come to their school. In response, Red Cross disaster mental health workers staffed an around-the-clock national telephone hotline for children and their parents -- a joint project of the Red Cross, corporate partner AT&T, the American Psychological Association, and the University of South Dakota Disaster Mental Health Institute. A Red Cross Recovery Project was established to continue to assist bombing victims and their families at the organization's Recovery Center.

Today, the American Red Cross and its family of 1.2 million adult and youth volunteers remain a vital part of nearly every community in America, constantly adapting to meet the emergency needs of their neighbors. Americans continue to help others through the American Red Cross, particularly in times of disaster. They have helped the organization fulfill its mission both at home and abroad over the years through generous contributions of money and donations of blood and time. In turn, Red Cross workers have responded daily to help people avoid emergencies, prepare for those that might occur, and cope with those that do. Governed and directed by volunteers, the American Red Cross stands Out as a prime example of what Henry Dunant had in mind when he initiated the international humanitarian movement more than 125 years ago.

• 1990 - Red Cross establishes the Holocaust Tracing Program to review over 130,000 prisoners in search of family members.
• 1995 - The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City is bombed by American terrorists killing 168.
• 1995 - Red Cross responds in Oklahoma City with 9000 volunteers and shelters for 483 affected residents.
• 1997 - Florida is ravaged by tornadoes, Red Cross responds in massive effort.
• 1998 - The costliest hurricane season in history of the American Red Cross. Tropical storms pound the Gulf Coast.
• 1998 - Flooding in Texas in Del Rio and Central Texas leave hundreds homeless.
• 1999 - America begins bombing of Serbia to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
• 1999 - American Red Cross is the first to reach three American POWs captured by Serbian forces.
• 1999 - Red Cross begins massive international effort to provide relief for hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees.