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 58 local disasters. We helped 64 affected individuals and families with emergency food, shelter and supplies. Because being prepared can make your family and community safer and sometimes minimize injury and destruction, we conducted disaster education presentations to 4,757 members of the communities served by the Crossroads Chapter.

Health and Safety Services
From first aid, CPR and AED training to swimming and lifeguarding, American Red Cross programs help people lead safer and healthier lives. This year, 4,841 individuals learned lifesaving skills through classes offered by the chapter.

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 2 families with loved ones in foreign lands. The Crossroads Chapter also conducted International Humanitarian Law training for 22 individuals. The chapter, together with local schools is actively involved in the Measles Initiative program to raise awareness and funds to inoculate children in Africa. This disease claims over 1,200 lives per day in Africa.

Armed Forces Emergency Services
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 222 military families. We also conducted “Get To Know Us Before You Need Us” presentations to 152 members of our Community Based Military population.

Blood Services
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Thanks to generous blood donors, the
Red Cross collects and distributes nearly half the nation’s blood supply. Although the Crossroads
Chapter is not within a Red Cross Blood Services Region, the chapter actively supports this vital
service through community awareness.

Community Services
Over 4,557 people received information on Red Cross services through Community Presentations such as Family Safety Day, Victoria Market Days, Veteran’s Day Parade, Health-O-Rama and the Mid-Coast Hurricane Conference. The chapter also provided “Masters of Disaster” training to 200 participants.

Volunteers
We depend on volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to carry on our work. Volunteers constitute 97 percent of our total workforce. This year, 193 volunteers made the work of the chapter possible, contributing over 2,000 hours, for a contribution estimated at $37,540.00.