The Red Cross in Our Community
Disaster Relief and Community Disaster Education
When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross is there. This year we responded to Residential Fires affecting 168 families. During the Hurricane Ike, we provided, meals, ice, comfort kits & supllies to residents of Jefferson, Hardin, Jasper & Tyler Counties.
Locally trained and dedicated Red Cross Volunteers provide much needed assistance to our neighbors in this community who have suffered from single family and natural disasters.
Because being prepared can make your family and community safer and sometimes minimize injury and destruction, we made 43 disaster education presentations in the community and distributed disaster preparedness literature to more than 25,000 individuals.
Local Red Cross Volunteers These families were assisted by trained and dedicated volunteers
Health and Safety education programs are a vital part of the American Red Cross Mission. A total of 5800 people enrolled in first aid, CPR and AED training. 700 enrolled in Aquatic and Water Safety programs ranging from beginning level swimming to life guarding. Certified volunteer instructors taught these life saving skills for the community at large as well as in workplaces throughout the community.
International Services
The international tracing program helps local families find relatives with whom they have lost contact because of a natural disaster, war or internal conflict. We helped reconnect 1 family with loved ones in foreign lands.
The American Red Cross provides communication between those in the Armed Forces and their families. We have a worldwide network that reaches service members wherever they are to communicate a birth, death or illness. This year we provided emergency connections for 641 military families.
Community Services
A Note About Volunteers
We depend on volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to carry on our work. Volunteers constitute 97 percent of our total workforce, serving as members of the board , instructors teaching lifesaving skills, disaster action team members, office administrators, event organizers and more.
This year, 67 volunteers made the work of the chapter possible, contributing 21,300 hours, for a contribution estimated at $431,325.00.
