Suzan Anderson, Community Chapter Executive of the Catawba Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, spoke to the club on Thursday.
The Catawba Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Our chapter is part of the Carolina Piedmont Region of the Red Cross, which comprises 10 chapters that cover 15 counties in North Carolina. The Catawba Chapter, operating in Catawba, Caldwell and Alexander Counties assists 1 in 10 people in our communities every year.
The Carolina Piedmont Region helps nearly 1,200 people a year recover from disaster. Over
500 Red Cross chapters around the country provide disaster relief, military family assistance and other vital community services, on the ground, every day.
The concept of the region is for the chapters to pool mutual aid and resources to better provide services to their clients. This provides a network that uses a team effort to tackle challenges – such as disasters – that may be more than just one chapter can handle by itself.
The American Red Cross provides many services nationwide such as:
- Blood drives – the need for blood donation is constant and your contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply.
- Disaster services – The American Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters every year, emergencies ranging from a fire affecting one household to larger disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes that devastate entire communities.
- Service to the Armed Forces – The Service to the Armed Forces program dates back to the establishment of the American Red Cross by Clara Barton in May 1881. Not only did the “Angel of the Battlefield” risk her life tending to soldiers wounded in the Civil War, she bolstered their morale by writing letters for them to send to their families. Today’s American Red Cross workers proudly carry on this tradition through our military support programs.
- Swimming & Water Safety – Saving lives in the water has been an American Red Cross tradition for nearly 100 years. Lifeguard candidates must be at least 15 years old and demonstrate strong swimming skills. Course participants learn what it takes to be a professional lifeguard.
- Preparedness, Emergency & CPR training – The American Red Cross offers a wide variety of training courses in first aid, CPR, AED, life guarding, swimming, babysitting, care giving, and other areas for both individuals and organizations. We are the most trusted training provider of health and safety training that meets OSHA guidelines and many other professional and regulatory standards. Many self-study classes are available online and you can also register for classroom courses.
For more information visit www.redcross.org or www.redcross.org/nc/hickory. Contact Suzan at 828-322-4151 or by e-mail Suzan.Anderson@redcross.org.
