Red Cross Objectives

Disaster can and often does strike without warning. Community members in Lady Lake, Florida experienced this first hand when a devastating Tornado barreled through their community in the dead of night. Communities across the country deal with emergencies at all different levels every day. It is with a catastrophic disaster though, that the true value of community becomes crystal clear to all of us. Alone we cannot survive; we need the help of family, friends and neighbors. In the United States, we also need the help of agencies like emergency management, police, fire and rescue who are the first responders when disaster strikes. Equally as important are not-for-profit relief organizations. For 125 years the American Red Cross has been providing such relief through its local community chapters.

A fellow Red Cross worker was interviewed by the news media during the Florida disaster. He talked about the organization’s immediate relief efforts in place providing food, clothing, shelter and hope to individuals in the effected communities. Red Cross chapters are essential to ensuring that local emergency relief efforts can get to people efficiently and quickly. In the event of a large disaster, the National Red Cross provides additional resources to support local efforts. However, many Americans do not realize that it’s the local Red Cross chapters that provide and pay for local relief during an emergency.

Red Cross chapters are made up of community members. Some staff is paid but volunteers represent the overwhelming majority in the chapters. Locally, the Greater Somerset County Red Cross chapter has 517 community volunteers. There are many different volunteer roles within a chapter. One example is within Emergency Services. Disaster volunteers train and prepare to coordinate and implement relief efforts. Some volunteers participate at a national level, but their primary focus is their own community. At a moments notice, they leave their daily life to help those in need, helping people to rebuild their lives.

Having a local Red Cross chapter is also something we should not take for granted. In the Greater Somerset County area, the Red Cross has had a local presence for 90 years due only to the generous support of our community. Through donations and the money we receive from programs and services such as lifesaving health and safety training, we can be here when you need us in an emergency. Many of the emergencies that we participate in are everyday events such as fires, but we are constantly training, preparing and working with local agencies and the community to be ready for a catastrophic event. We encourage people to learn about the role of the Red Cross, how you can engage your local chapter and what you need to do to be ready.

I hope that our community members give generously to those in Florida through the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. I also encourage you to volunteer, donate and participate at your local Red Cross chapter. You can help to ensure that we can be there when the community needs us most.

Amy Sutton
Executive Director
Greater Somerset County Chapter
American Red Cross
We’re Here Because Of You …
Together, We Can Save a Life