During this time , America experienced the Great Awakening . People became aware of the disadvantaged and realized the cause for movement against slavery . Younger people started helping the needy in their communities . In 1851 , the first YMCA in the United States was started , followed seven years later by the first YWCA . During the American Civil War , women volunteered their time to sew supplies for the soldiers and the " Angel of the Battlefield " Clara Barton and a team of volunteers began providing aid to servicemen . Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and began mobilizing volunteers for disaster relief operations , including relief for victims of the Johnstown Flood in 1889
Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
Volunteering