A Note from Rick...
Best wishes to all from the great
Northwest segment of the Catawba Valley Chapter of the American Red
Cross—Caldwell County! The following is an overview of some of the areas in
which this Branch has been involved recently as well as some upcoming events.
First off is a hats off symbol of gratitude to Art Mooney for being named the
Volunteer of the Year for Caldwell County! As we all know, the Red Cross
organization could not function without the involvement of its volunteers and
Art has been ever present in his service to the Branch. He is part of a
wonderful group of folks that includes the Appalachian RSVP who give heavily of
themselves to help us fulfill our mission of helping people in their hour of
need. Thanks to all our Volunteers—the backbone of the American Red Cross!
While the month of June was a light one for
the Branch in regards to Blood Drives, it did see a large one held at the
Broyhill Civic Center that served as an Emergency Services Challenge. Donors
got to designate their preferred Fire Department or Rescue Squad on their donor
information sheet for a little friendly competition between our fine Emergency
Service providers. The month of July will see an increase in the number of
scheduled Blood Drives in the County with seven being scheduled at this time.
For details on upcoming events go to the Blood Service section on this site.
The Branch responded to several emergency situations
during the month of June, and, for the year has provided emergency assistance to
just under 50 occurrences. Of course, we wish there would be no emergencies
requiring our attention, but we stand ready to help on a moment’s notice and are
proud to be available to help. The responsibility for responding to the after
hours calls has been handled by Bob Gibbs with the help of numerous volunteers.
It appears that in the near future we’ll be able to have multiple DAT teams to
respond to those calls. Again our thanks go out to the people who volunteer
their time and efforts for this activity!
Our Health and Safety programs are kicking into high gear
at this time with the summer swimming lessons starting to roll in. Several
companies in the area have completed their annual CPR updates with more opting
to provide this service to their staffs. The Branch office is hosting one Adult
CPR class per month for the next three months. In addition, the Branch Manager,
Rick Rash, is going to be a judge in a lifeguard competition to be held in
Boiling Springs on August 2 that will involve numerous teams from throughout the
State.
The Branch participated at the
Blackberry Festival in Lenoir on July 12th. The Red Cross got to
enjoy the food and entertainment at the festival and celebrating with our
friends and neighbors. The Branch also participated in Health Fairs at
Thomasville Furniture and Whitnel Pentacostal Church as well as the June Walking
Jamboree sponsored by the Caldwell County Senior Center at the TH Broyhill
Walking Park in Lenoir. The Branch also gave a program on the services offered
by the Red Cross to the Caldwell County Council on Aging. We are participating
in the formation of the Healthy September Month Calendar to be distributed
County-wide by Health Caldwelians. We will also be part of the Community Health
Assessment for the County sponsored by the Caldwell County Health Department and
Healthy Caldwellians.
In case you have not noticed, there is a
new sign in front of the office to let people know where we are! We have also
re-graveled and graded the parking lot at the office. Look for more cosmetic
changes coming in the near future!
The above are a few activities that have
been going on around the Branch along with a hint of things to come. If anyone
would like to become involved with the Caldwell County Branch of the American
Red Cross come by during our operating hours of 9:00AM to 3:00PM Monday-Friday
or call 754-4161. If you cannot come during those hours, call the office and
we’ll meet you there or wherever it is convenient for you to discuss volunteer
opportunities!
Stay
Tuned,
Rick
