Houston part of larger Red Cross effort

Residence: LaGrange

Occupation: Executive director, American Red Cross Central Midwest Georgia Chapter

Q: What size is the Red Cross area Houston County is part of?

A: It’s part of a 20-county chapter in the Georgia region, with offices in Warner Robins, Macon and LaGrange, but volunteers and services in all 20 counties.

Q: Houston County used to be its own chapter, didn’t it?

A: Yes. At one time just about every county in the state had its own chapter but they were combined into nine multicounty chapters a number of years ago. In our chapter, roughly speaking, Houston County is the most southern, then it’s up to Haralson County and over to Putnam in the northeast and Baldwin and Wilkinson over that way. Our chapter is just under a million people.

Q: How many staff members?

A: Three paid full-time staff and one part-time administrative assisitant. Our disaster program manager lives in Warner Robins and operates out of Macon and Warner Robins throughout the week. I and our disaster program specialist operate out of LaGrange. We travel a good bit and, like I say, the Red Cross is volunteer based and we have volunteers serving in all sorts of ways in every county. We couldn’t operate without volunteers.

Q: What does the Red Cross mainly do in Houston County?

A: The same as everywhere. The most common thing we do is respond to disasters — disasters of all kinds — but the most common are home fires.

Q: How do you respond?

A: Typically, when 911 is called, emergency workers contact us. Volunteers go to the scene, assess immediate needs and meet them. Later we do follow up to help families and individuals so there’s both kinds of support. House fires are most common but of course we respond to all kinds and sizes of disasters from house fires to flooding to tornadoes, to earthquakes — all kinds.

Q: What immediate help is given?

A: Volunteers make sure people have shelter and food, and the rest depends on the physical needs. There may be a need for medicines. Longer-term in our follow up we have other services like mental health counselors and people who try to help make sure people are recovering well.

Q: What are some other services?

A: We help with disaster preparedness services and training, like with a new program in conjunction with Disney where third to fifth graders are given a pillow case with Disney characters on it they use to build and hold a disaster preparedness kit. They’re taught about preparedness and for themselves and they take information home to help their families prepare. They can ask things like, “Dad, do we have a fire escape route out of the house?”

Then we have health and safety services and training, first aid training and services, we teach CPR, have lifeguard courses and, in Warner Robins at Robins Air Force Base, have services for armed service members. Our volunteers do all this and more and plus things like help operate shelters in emergencies like we did for Hurricane Matthew. And, of course, we have our blood drives and blood services. Oh yes — and we have a lot of great apps now, too.

Q: Like what?

A: For all sorts of things. There are great preparedness apps, first aid apps, safety tips apps and there’s an audible emergency and weather app so you can get local warnings right where you are or from wherever you might have a vacation home or child in college or wherever you may have elderly parents living. They’re great and they’re free. Except we have a pet app that I think is a dollar — a pet safety app. You can get them wherever you get your apps from. Look up Red Cross.

Q: Of course, blood services and blood drives are always important.

A: Absolutely, and they depend on volunteers to give blood, volunteers to sponsor the drives and to provide drive locations. Volunteers also help on-site as greeters and whatnot. We’re always looking for people and groups interested in sponsoring drives. Well, we’re always looking for people to volunteer in every area of service.

Q: What are blood supplies like now?

A: Right now there’s an emergency appeal due to winter weather. There’s always a big need around the holiday season. In the summer there’s always a need, too, partially because the biggest large number of donors are always students and they’re way from their schools and colleges where the blood drives are so we sort of lose them for a while.

Q: Who can give blood?

A: Basically, anyone 16 years old with parent’s permission and at 17 anyone can. Anyone who is in good health. There are some restrictions and a bit of screening. You can find out more at www.redcrossblood.org and can pre-qualify and set an appointment to give. You can find out there when and where drives are scheduled. It doesn’t take long to give blood and you can give a unit (a pint) about every other month. And it’s a very safe process.

Q: How can people volunteer? Are there particular volunteers needed now?

A: We can use all kinds, but were always especially looking for disaster services volunteers who can serve in the many, many different ways. They may be the ones that get called at 2 a.m. to go meet with a family after a fire. You can call the Warner Robins office at 478-923-6332. It’s at 346 Corder Road. The Red Cross — and all our friends and neighbors — depend on our volunteers and our community partners.

This story was originally published January 7, 2017 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Houston part of larger Red Cross effort."