In order to improve the qoulity of life of socially venerable children, RC of Serbia is organizes holidays for children from the families below poverty line, children who lost parent(s) during wartime, as well as children from IDP or refugee families.
        Holidays for children are organized:

• In RC resorts
• In Greek families in cooperation with Greek Red Cross

        Donors fund these activities to a certain extent.
        General criteria for targeting the beneficiaries for this program are the following:

• Age 7 to 13
• That child didn’t participate in this program before
• That family is unable to fund this vacation for that child by itself

           Due to a significant decrease of international humanitarian and bilateral assistance, level of overall assistance to people in need has decreased last year. The only regular program is RC Soup Kitchen Programe, that continued with preparing and distributing hot meals, with decreased number of beneficiaries.
        By the end of March 2003, European Community Humanitarian Office and Austrian Red Cross were supplying 82 RC branches with food for 42.834 hot meals on daily basis.
        During 2002 in Red Cross Soup kitchens in Serbia, 13.055.328 hot meals were cooked and distributed to beneficiaries. Each person received 0.5 liter of cooked meal and 0.3 kg of bread per day.
        Since April 1st 2003, programhas been resumed in 72 RC branches with 30.080 beneficiaries, with a support of Federal Government and bilateral donations from Red Cross of Serbia. Local authorities and Red Cross branches from their own sources provide financial means for preparation of meals.

           Due to an extremely difficult living conditions that non-Albanian population is facing, especially in enclaves, RC of Serbia has distributed 11.000 family and 5.000 hygienic parcels, in cooperation with Serbian Government Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija, for the most vulnerable families. Family parcels contains 12 basic food items: 12kg wheat flour, 4 cans of meat, 4 cans of liver pate, 4 cans of fish, 4 cans of goulash, one kilo of salt, sugar, beans, rice and pasta, as well as 1 liter of vegetable oil and 3 kilos of jam.
        Hygienic parcels contain the following items: 3 kg of washing powder, 1 tube of toothpaste, 1 package of sanitary napkins, 2 rolls of toilet paper, shampoo and soap.
        This was the first distribution of that kind out of 4 planned for 2003.
        The purchase of these commodities is performed by the Red Cross of Serbia, in cooperation with Coordination Center, whole packing and distribution are implemented by Organization of the RCof Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia and Montenegro Red Cross Society transports those goods and provides all the necessary paperwork to enter Kosovo. During April 2003, urgent delivery of 7,5 tons of food and hygiene for people in Gora region – Dragaš municipality was effected by Municipal RC branch Štrpce. RC Branch of Bujanovac also provided two trucks of assistance in cooperation with Coordination center.

           The Red Cross of Serbia performs regular distribution of all received shipments of humanitarian assistance. Allocated shipments are distributed according to donor wishes and non-earmarked shipments are distributed according to needs indentified in the field and received requests for assistance:

• To RC Branches to assist socially vulnerable population
• To Social and health institutions (for children, elderly and handicapped)
• To Collective centers with refugees and Internally displaced people (IDPs)

           Action “One parcel a lot of Love” is dedicated to children who lost their parents during the war, children in foster families up to 10 years of age and physically or mentally handicapped children in social institutions without are limit. Action is performed from December 19th to January 27th. It is implemented thanks to donors’ support.
        This year action resulted in 2250 parcels delivered to children.
        Trying to contribute to efforts directed to increasingbirth rate, RC of Serbia organizes action “Parcel for newly born Baby”. Each baby born in a Red Cross Week (May 8th – May 15th) receives parcels when leaving maternity ward. Average birth rate per week in Serbia is 2000 babies. RC collects designated funds for this action by sending letters to all registered companies in Serbia.
        Size of parcels depends on received funds, and it usually contains basic baby items, hygienic items for mother and a greeting card packed in a bag with an action marking.
        Due to difficult economic conditions, since 1992 RC performs action “Lets have summer and Winter Holiday at Home”. The aim of this action is to provide vacation for the children whose parents are unable to send them to a holiday, in the Red Cross premisses. Children have the opportunity to have good time, find out new things about the organization and its principles, visit interesting companies, rural areas, cultural and historical monuments etc.
        Each group spends 5 days in these activities, and RC provides two meals per day for all children involved in the program. In rural areas, when agricultural work is over, action “Working Weekend in a Countryside” or “The Red Cross Visiting Village” takes place. In those actions, RC organizes expert teams to visit the most distant villages. During the action RC volunteers assist the most vulnerable elderly households in house works, doctors examine them, check blood pressure and distribute medicaments, agriculture experts have lectures in their field. Water and sanitation experts check the water quality etc. Blood donation sessions are organized as well. At the end of action, the special commission chooses the household it that village which is best taken care of and lunch for all guests and hosts is organised.