The South Central Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross is celebrating Red Cross Month this March by giving thanks to the thousands of people in this community who have personified America’s humanitarian spirit by donating their time, money and blood during the last year.
America has always been a place of humanitarian action and compassion: A place where people take care of each other whether they are down the block or around the globe. Putting compassion into action is deeply rooted in the American character and the people in the Jackson and Hillsdale Communities are no exception.
"Although hurricanes and tsunamis make the headlines, many people forget that the day-to-day work of the Red Cross takes place in communities like ours, and is made possible by ‘hometown heroes’ who volunteer their time, and is funded by voluntary contributions from local citizens and businesses," says Sarah Ermatinger, Board Chairperson of the South Central Michigan Chapter.
One hundred and ten of Jackson and Hillsdale County residents volunteered a cumulative 5,140 hours this year to help local families when disaster strikes; teach their neighbors lifesaving skills such as first aid, CPR and water safety; help local military families communicate during emergencies; and much more.
Two of these hometown heroes are the husband and wife team Al and Kay Ferry, Disaster Action Team and Armed Forces Emergency Services Volunteers. Thanks to Al and Kay and more than 108 other volunteers who have, on their own time, received special training on how to help families when disaster strikes, more than 276 local individuals received immediate assistance—shelter, food, clothing—when disasters, such as fires, forced them from their homes, this fiscal year.
"America has always been a place where people look out for each other. We really want to thank everyone who chose the Red Cross as their way to help out in our community," says Susan Nix, our new Director of Volunteers of the South Central Michigan Chapter.
The Chapter is kicking off the following activities for March:
Friday, March 3 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. is the Chapter’s open house pot luck Dessert Fest. We invite our volunteers and the public to bring their favorite dessert and stop by to get acquainted and visit. Tour the new Disaster Response Vehicle.
Look for our Billboards that feature a 2005 Everyday Hero and Disaster Clients who received emergency assistance from the South Central Michigan Chapter.
March 24 at 3:00 p.m. ends our On-Line Auction – www.redcrossauction.org
March 30, at the Cascade Manor House is our Everyday Heroes Event.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared March 1943 to be Red Cross Month—a tradition that has been continued every year, by every president since.
Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross is a nationwide network of nearly 900 field units dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by 1 million volunteers and 36,000 employees, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to families affected by more than 70,000 disasters, trains almost 12 million people in lifesaving skills and keeps U.S. military families connected worldwide. The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products to more than 3,000 hospitals across the nation and also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts at locations worldwide.
