Gibson County Chapter Disaster Action Team members responded to a house fire at 10pm the evening of Sat, Feb 6.  The Patoka home, located on Mill Street, was englufed in flames and rendered a complete loss.  The family, with 3 grandchildren, made it our safe, but unfortunately their pet dog did not survive.

A responding DAT member was a close relative of the displaced family, indicating again how the Gibson County Chapter is truly a community of volunteers helping our own friends, family members and neighbors.  The Chapter offered free lodging, food and clothing assisance. 

To learn more about becoming a DAT member, please email:  DAT@gibsoncountyredcross.org.  To support our free disaster relief services, please click on the CROSSwalk link above.

On Tuesday, January 19, Oakland City Elementary School students, staff and faculty collected more than $610 dollars for Haiti Relief Fund.  This is an amazing feat and they should be very proud of their donation!  Great job, kiddos!

As of today, January 25, 2010, the Gibson County Chapter of the American Red Cross has collected $4,000 in community donations for the Haiti Relief Fund.

On January 14, 2010, the American Red Cross released an additional $9 million for earthquake relief in Haiti, bringing their commitment to $10 million.  Five disaster management specialists from Peru, Mexico, and the United States are arriving in the Dominican Republic today and will travel by land to the disaster zone.  These individuals join the 15-person staff the Red Cross already has on the ground, as well as thousands of Red Cross island volunteers.

The 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti near the capital of Port au Prince caused catastrophic damage and significant loss of life, with estimates that up to 3 million people may be affected.  As aftershocks continue, people are sleeping on the streets out of fear of being crushed by already crumbling homes.

The Red Cross provided blood and blood products to the US Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida.  That blood, requested by the US Navy, was shipped by the US Navy to their facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in support of Haitian evacuees and patients.

To give to relief efforts in Haiti, local residents may text “HAITI” to 90999 for a $10 donation deducted from monthly cell phone bill, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or donate online at www.RedCross.org.  The Gibson County Chapter is also taking donations from 9am-5pm cst at their 312 W State Street offices in Princeton.  Cal for more information:  812-386-6300.

The community is invited to a FREE informational meeting Friday, January 22, 2010 from 6pm-8pm at the Gibson County Chapter of the American Red Cross.  Executive Director David Bothast will present up-to-date information regarding relief initiatives, including pictures, at the event.  Light refreshments will be served and disaster relief donations will be accepted by cash, check, or major credit card. 

(Gibson County)  The Princeton Branch of Old National Bank and the Gibson County Chapter of the American Red Cross will launch the "1,000,000 Penny Challenge" on June 25, 2009.  The goal is to raise 1,000,000 pennies by June 25, 2010.

Old National Bank has set up a savings account for the Red Cross and will accept donations from the community.  Additionally, collection containers will be available throughout the community for your donations.  All donations will be put to good use in LOCAL American Red Cross services.

"Just a little common CENTS can make great CHANGE!"

(Princeton)  On Thursday, June 18, the Gibson County Chapter celebrated its 92nd Annual Event.  The evening was filled with awards to both volunteers and community sponsors, as well as a dedication of the Military Hall of Heroes.  Over 80 people were in attendance throughout the evening and over $1,000 worth of raffle items (donated by the community) were given away. 

The Chapter recoginzed the following people and organizations for their support over the past year:

Stephanie McKinney

Stephanie also received the Instructor of the Year Award for her commitment to the Health & Safety programs of the Chapter.  It is not uncommon to find Stephanie in the office on the weekends and has instructed dozens of individuals on her own time. 

Tony Tomassetti

Mark Priestly

Mike Azzarello

Mike will also received the Outstanding DAT Service Award for his continuous volunteerism and exceptional service to the Gibson County Chapter.

Vicki Schultheis

Jeanann Priestly

Debi Tomassetti

        Debi and Tony Tomassetti also received the Chapter Services Support Award.  When

able, Debi and Tony support the Chapter in fundraising and program service delivery.  They are very dedicated and fantastic assets to the agency.

Pedro Blanco

Dusti Green

Additional Volunteer Awards were given to:

Howard & Ethel Mae Adrers (2009 Blood Services Support Award)

Reuben Scholz (2009 Blood Services Support Award)

Merlene Levers (2009 Administrative & Logistics Support Award)

Vicki Schultheis (2009 Volunteer of the Year Award)

Mike Watkins (2009 Community Hero Award; nominated by Vicki Schultheis)

Mrs. Lynn Barrett (2009 Community Hero Award; nominated by Wyatt Buchanan)

Jason Bradshaw (2009 DAT Member of the Year Award)

Jeff Hopkins (2006-2009 Chairman of the Board Award)

Helen Hauke (2006-2009 Executive Treasurer Award)

2009 Heroes of Gibson County Sponsorship Awards were given to:

TMMI, Inc. & United Way of Gibson County (2009 Corporate Sponsorship Award)

Gibson General Hospital & Duke Energy (2009 Group Sponsorship Award)

Hansen Motors (2009 Individual Sponsor Award)

 The evening was a great event and detailed the vast services provided by the Gibson County Chapter.  Thank you for your continued support!

The American Red Cross is monitoring the developing situation with this swine flu (H1N1 flu) outbreak and is in close contact with federal and state officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security.  This is a serious situation that has the potential to spread, and it is a good time for families, businesses and organizations to follow good public health practices and to review and update their preparedness plans.

Stocking extra food, water and supplies at home will reduce the need to go out should this swine flu strain become more widespread and schools or businesses temporarily close. The Red Cross recommends storing a two-week supply of food, water and household necessities such as laundry detergent and toilet paper. A gallon of water per person per day should be stored in clean plastic containers. Family preparation steps should also include storing formula for infants, food for special nutritional needs, essential medicines and medical items, and extra food for pets.  The Gibson County Chapter has a variety of first aid kits available to ensure your family is Red Cross Ready in the event of an outbreak.  “We have a wide selection of First Aid kits available at our

Common sense basic public health practices should be followed. These include covering your cough/sneeze with a tissue, frequent hand-washing, visiting a doctor for flu-like symptoms and staying home when sick.

While Red Cross organizations in Mexico and other nations provide basic medical care to the public as part of their ongoing mission, the American Red Cross and its chapters have different responsibilities, and focus more on providing shelter, food and mental health counseling. 

The American Red Cross and its chapters will continue to work with government officials on the swine flu issue and stand ready to help as appropriate. The American Red Cross is committed to maintaining the blood supply for the public, to educating the public on preparedness and safety, and to ensuring that we can continue to provide disaster services to those in need.

People seeking information on human swine flu should visit the CDC web site or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

The Gibson County Chapter of the American Red Cross salutes the Princeton Tigers for their undefeated season and win over the Rochester Zebras for the 2009 3A Championship!  You truly are Hometown Heroes!!!

(All Gibson County )  The Gibson County Chapter of the American Red Cross preparing its launch of its 3^rd Annual Heroes of Gibson County campaign during the month of March.

The success of this fundraiser determines the amount of services the Red Cross is able to provide over the course of the calendar year, 2009.  Without the support of local community citizens, the Chapter will be unable to provide disaster relief to those in most need.

Click here to see how you can help!

(PRINCETON)  The local community experienced a wide spread power outage the evening of Friday, January 9, 2009, and the Red Cross was geared to assist those in greatest need.  As the agency was deploying staff members and resources to affected community members, the lights came on.  The cause of the outage was a blown transformer and local officials, media, energy delivery, and the Red Cross responded in a timely fashion.  BE RED CROSS READY!  Our agency has emergency hand-crank radios with flashlights, cell phone chargers, and weather band capabilities.  Call us for pricing and ordering info!  (812) 386-6300

As of 3am this morning, the Gibson County Chapter of the American Red Cross has responded to (5) disasters since Thanksgiving.  Each disaster averaging overing $400 in expenditures.  Red Cross services are FREE to those receiving them, but the agency relies on the contributions from community members to function.  We are not a government entity, nor do we receive federal dollars.  All services provided to Gibson County are a direct result of YOUR donated dollars. 

Please consider the Gibson County Chapter when budgeting your holiday donations.

Traffic stood still on Evansville’s Lloyd Expressway this Sunday, November 23, to welcome home soldiers of the 163^rd Field Artillery Unit.  In attendance was Gibson County’s own American Red Cross.  In addition to providing hot beverage service and support, the Red Cross distributed over 300 long stemmed roses to spouses and mothers of returning soldiers and 100 toys to dependent children.  The agency’s youth corps, Club Red, held up signs of support and had the opportunity to finally meet and greet a returning military pen pal. 

The caravan began at Tristate Aero, down highway 41, up the Lloyd Expressway and into the National Guard Armory.  Although the actual number in attendance is unknown, Executive Director David Bothast said the event was inspiring.  “The diverse audience ranged from dependents and family members to friends and general supporters of our troops.  Everyone gathered together to welcome our hometown heroes and show support of those in uniform.”  Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel and 8^th district Congressman Brad Ellsworth were also in attendance.

The American Red Cross was developed on the battlefield and military services remains a high priority of the agency.  Using the latest in computer and telecommunications technology, the Red Cross sends communications on behalf of family members who are facing emergencies or other important events to members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving all over the world. These communications are delivered around-the-clock, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. While providing services to 1.4 million active duty personnel and their families, the Red Cross also reaches out to more than 800,000 members of the National Guard and the Reserves and their families who reside in nearly every community in America.

Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications that link them with their families back home, access to financial assistance, counseling and assistance to veterans. Red Cross Service to Armed Forces personnel work in nearly 800 chapters in the United States, on 62 military installations around the world and with our troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.   Donate online to help the Red Cross mission and support your troops!

FOUR-STAR RATING

For the sixth consecutive year, the American Red Cross has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent online evaluator of charities. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates the Red Cross excels, as compared to other charities in America, in successfully managing the finances of the organization in an efficient and effective manner. We’ve also been named the Best Multipurpose Humanitarian Organization in their annual holiday gift guide. 

Your American Red Cross of Gibson County assures the greatest stewardship to your donated dollar!

Check out:  Charity Navigator for yourself!

HOUSE FIRE IN OAKLAND CITY

OCTOBER 9, 2008:  At 8:15pm, Emergency Services Director, Kevin Harris, received a notice of a housefire in Oakland City.  Upon arrival, Kevin realized the family had lost everything.  Emergency services are currently being provided and donations to offset costs are appreciated.

Since joining the American Red Cross of Gibson County on August 25, I have experienced many things; the least of which was turning 30!

During my "inauguration month", Gibson County experienced house fires, residual flooding effects, hurricanes, power outages, evacuees, National Disaster Relief emergencies, emergency shelters and food service operations.  This has been a very trying time for the community and we (ARC) spent much [time] accommodating the needs of those effected.

When I reached out for help, Gibson County was there to answer.  It is inspiring to be surrounded by so many community-minded volunteers gathering in fellowship as proactive agents of change for their community.  Without the support of the community, the American Red Cross of Gibson County couldn’t function at full capacity and provide essential services to those in need.

Thank you all for making my inauguration a successful, enlightening, and supported experience.  I am proud to be a part of a community/family that is so altruistic.

--David Bothast, Executive Director