MetLife Supports Greater Somerset County Chapter of the American Red Cross Emergency Response Program

From left to right, presenting the award is Michael Beck, MetLife, William Sundheim, Board Chair, Greater Somerset County American Red Cross and Amy Sutton, Executive Director.

Somerville, January 16, 2007 - On January 8th, the Greater Somerset County Chapter of the American Red Cross was presented with a check for $1,000 from Mr. Michael Beck, an employee of MetLife, in Bridgewater, NJ, and an American Red Cross Disaster Action Team Captain. The Disaster Action Teams are the Greater Somerset County Chapter’s first line of support in responding to emergency needs of residents in the community. Mr. Beck became involved with the local Red Cross chapter in 2005, around the time of Hurricane Katrina. “I was thinking a lot about volunteering with people in the community. I just wanted to help people in need” said Mr. Beck. Mr. Beck decided to pursue volunteering with emergency services and joined the Disaster Action Team (DAT) in 2006. He continued his training and now is one of four volunteer Disaster Action Team leaders. Mr. Beck was able to see the efforts of the Red Cross during the Delaware River floods in the summer of 2006. “By participating on the ground at that disaster, I had the opportunity to see first hand the immediate relief that the Red Cross brings to people during an emergency, and the sincere appreciation of the affected residents. We really had made an impact.”

Looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of the disaster teams, Mr. Beck realized that the chapter was operating with gaps in its technology. He turned to his company MetLife for assistance. MetLife recognizes the volunteer efforts of their associates across the country. They encourage them to give their time, energy and skills to assist nonprofit organizations in their communities. In 1990, MetLife Foundation created the Volunteer Ventures program to support theses efforts. It was under this program that the local chapter was awarded $1,000 to purchase much needed equipment for emergency services response. According to Amy Sutton, Executive Director for the chapter, “Our partnerships with local corporations and businesses are instrumental to sustaining our local chapter. Many of our volunteers work for businesses in the community. We are grateful when employers support their employee’s efforts to give back to their community through volunteering. Our volunteers are the heart of our local chapter. Without their support, we could not deliver the wide range of services that the Red Cross provides the community. We are grateful that Michael took the initiative to request support from his employer, MetLife.”