Red Cross provides disaster relief

"Blood, military, and disasters -- that's what we do," said Greg King, of the American Red Cross Heart of Tennessee chapter, which is based in Murfreesboro and which includes Bedford County in its service area.

The chapter, a United Way member agency, is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance and disaster relief.

The American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters each and every year.

This includes house and apartment fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornados, explosions, transportation accidents, hazardous materials spills and other disasters.

The American Red Cross is not a government agency, but its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when, in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures of preventing the same", according to the American Red Cross official web site.

Red Cross volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

"We are pretty well prepared," said King.

In addition to being ready for anything to happen, the organization also provides temporary shelter for disaster victims and assists with purchasing necessary items such as clothes, food and gas.

The organization also provides emergency care for the men and women of the armed forces and military families.

Volunteers of the American Red Cross promote fire safety as well.

Bedford County has a representative voice in the Heart of Tennessee chapter; Shelbyville Mayor Wallace Cartwright is one of several Bedford County residents who serve on the board of directors.

However, there is one thing that the Red Cross always needs: Blood.

"We have a non-stop need for blood products ... blood has a certain shelf life and it has got to constantly be replaced with fresh blood," said King.

Donating blood at local American Red Cross blood drives is one of the best ways to show your support.

Volunteers are also a constant need for the Red Cross.

"We are always looking for people to volunteer on disaster teams," said King.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

For more information about the American Red Cross, call (615) 893-4272 or go to www.midtnredcross.org. For more information about United Way of Bedford County, call 684-6685 or go to unitedwaybedford.org.