TROY — Northern Miami Valley Ohio Chapter leadership and volunteers, along with community partners and area leadership gathered Aug. 12 in Troy at one of the chapter’s three offices, to honor those who have made delivering the Red Cross mission possible, this past year. The chapter delivers services in Champaign, Clark, Darke, Logan, Miami and Shelby counties.
During the past year, (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019), 460 people were helped with disaster relief and although the majority of people were affected by a family fire, most recently were people who were affected by the Miami Valley tornadoes.
Awarded the Disaster Services Partnership Award were three partners, Tzu Chi, Midmark Corporation and Miami County EMA for their work on the tornado effort and Greenville Fire Department for their effort in saving lives by partnering with the Red Cross on the Home Fire Campaign, installing alarms and educating families.
Additionally, Rachel Brubaker, was awarded the Excellence in Disaster Services Award. Her service includes both local and national disaster deployments, as well as work in preparedness.
“Her ability to take on complex situations and deliver results make her invaluable to our chapter, our region, our division and national disaster relief operations as well,” said Marc Cantrell, disaster program specialist.
Almost 4,000 blood and platelet donations were made over the past year, enabling up to 12,000 lives saved. Awarded the Biomedical Partnership Award was Koverman Staley Dickerson Insurance, for their superior client service when hosting mobile blood drives at their location.
Humanitarian Partnerships were award to Miami County Juvenile Courts, Just 4 Fun 4-H and the Ohio Masonic Home all for aiding in the chapter’s ability to deliver services and provide support for volunteers. Awarded the Excellence in Humanitarian Services were the volunteer leaders of the Veteran Visitation Program, Linda Miller, Rita McManis and Carol Smith.
Additionally, the Excellence in Volunteer Services was awarded to John Wright, for over a decade of diverse and exemplary service, which includes not only local and regional support, but volunteering over 429 days across the country, which doesn’t include the time he’s donated internationally.
Highlights of the evening included the Volunteer Saving Lives Award, which is only given when a family or member is saved due to the direct action of the Red Cross Smoke Alarm Program. Rex and Rachel Brubaker, son and mother team, installed alarms in 2016 in the Langford home and on April. Those very alarms went off, saving father, Shawn Langford. A nursing pinning ceremony also was part of the evening, where longtime volunteer Mareta Headapohl, who received her pin in 1969, pinned Lindsay Sanders, a newly minted board member and nurse. Awards were also given to DAT (Disaster Action Team) members, as well as the Clara Barton Society and rookies who participated in the Sound the Alarm event, which occurs in spring, across the nation.
