Red Cross officially opens office in Greene County
WAYNESBURG — The American Red Cross officially opened its new headquarters in Greene County recently with an open house that showcased the many services that the Red Cross provides to residents.
The event kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the new headquarters, which is located in the Greene County United Way offices at 748 E. High St. in Waynesburg. Representatives and volunteers from Red Cross and United Way joined various local and state dignitaries in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, and the open house that followed offered a wide array of activities and displays that focused on the services the Red Cross provides.
Activities included a “Touch-a-Truck” experience to explore the emergency response vehicle and family services vehicle; a mock pet shelter by the Humane Society of Greene County; a mock Red Cross shelter; “Be Red Cross Ready” presentations hosted by local volunteers and staff; an opportunity to share Red Cross stories with volunteers; and signups for new trainings and community presentations this year.
According to Red Cross officials, the new headquarters was made possible through the generosity of the United Way of Greene County.
“We are very grateful to the United Way of Greene County and their executive director, Barbara Wise, for providing the office space for the Red Cross,” said Patricia Waldinger, chief executive officer of the western Pennsylvania region of the American Red Cross. “This new office will strengthen our presence in Greene County and give us a platform from which to continue to expand services to local residents.”
In a previous interview, Wise said the opening of the satellite office will be beneficial for Greene County.
“Because of the accessibility of the local volunteers, the Red Cross will now be more readily available to provide their services following any emergency and/or disaster,” she said.
Wise stressed that the satellite office is not an emergency shelter; rather, it is a resource information center.
“People who need services provided by the Red Cross now have a location to go to where they can get information on how to get help in their time of need,” she said.
The American Red Cross provides disaster relief services for natural and man-made disasters, offers educational programs to prepare people to respond to emergencies, conducts preparedness activities to help communities prepare for disasters, and supports military members and their families, among other services.
The open house was held nearly a week after Greene County commissioners proclaimed March American Red Cross Month. The proclamation acknowledged the Red Cross; as part of the proclamation, the Red Cross asks all Americans to help carry out its lifesaving mission with a donation of time, money or blood.
“We’ve been trying to grow the Red Cross’s presence in Greene County for the past two years or so,” said Red Cross volunteer Mark Carlson, noting that the field office has made alliances with various agencies and organizations to increase its number of volunteers and shelters in the county. The county’s Disaster Action Team (DAT) has grown to 15 to 20 volunteers able to respond to fires or other emergencies, Carlson said.
The field office has also introduced a Smoke Alarm and Fire Education (SAFE) program in Waynesburg and conducted a canvass of 2,200 homes and businesses on March 22. Volunteers were assisted by students and staff from Waynesburg University as part of the university’s “Day of Service.”
For more information about the Red Cross and/or becoming a volunteer, call 412-263-3100 or visit online at www.redcross.org.