On
October 26th we completed our Major Gifts Campaign here in Hopkins
County. We set our goal for $60,000 and exceeded it be nearly $3,000!
These donations will go towards providing relief to victims of
disaster, as well as to help prevent, prepare for and respond to
emergencies. Thank you to all who participated and gave to the campaign
this year, we couldn't do it without you!
We
had a great time at the Red Cross Safety Lane Saturday (Oct. 24)! Thank
you to all the staff and volunteers who helped! And a big THANK YOU to
all the sponsors who helped make this event possible!
Congratulations to the Box family triplets who won the bike raffle from the Red Cross Safety Lane Saturday!!
Saturday (Oct. 24) the Hopkins County Business and Professional Women's
Club presented our Chapter Director, Jeanie Barnett, with the Woman of
Achievement Award. They also presented Old National Bank with the
Business Equity Award. Congratulations to the recipients!
On 9/29/09 the Mid-West KY chapter of the American Red Cross
participated in Ruby Concrete's Chili Cook Off/ Ribbon Cutting ceremony.
Mitzi Geary, the Service Center Manger for Muhlenberg Co., received a call
at 1:07 AM on Friday,
September 11, 2009 to respond to a fire in downtown
Greenville, Ky. We were able to respond
very quickly because our office in
Muhlenberg Co. is located directly across the street from the where
the fire was. Muhlenberg Co.'s Disaster Trailer and the Emergency Response Vehicle
responded to
the fire with drinks and snacks. Later in the morning we provided breakfast for the fire fighters and
the other first responders. Two
buildings were destroyed by the fire with a third being destroyed from
smoke and water damage. Thank you to all the volunteers who showed up to help!
The Mid-West Kentucky Chapter recognized Officer Jonathon Murphy from the
Madisonville Police Department
for his extraordinary efforts in assisting us
during the ice storm at our shelter located at the Methodist Church on
Center Street. Officer Murphy went above and beyond expectaions in helping
obtain structure in our shelter.
He was given a letter and certificate of
appreciation. The Police Department was also given a certificate of
appreciation. THANKS to our police department for a job well done!!
Heroes update:
Total income (including the $5.000 sponsorship money):
$34,831.31
less expenses of the campaign:
-$2,162.03
Net 2009 Heroes Campaign:
$32,669.23
Mid-West Kentucky Red Cross Chapter
Receives $13,700 Grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation
Grant to support Disaster Readiness and Capacity Building
Madisonville, KY (April 2, 2009) – Mid-West Kentucky announced that it
is receiving a $13,700 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, to be better
prepared to response to disasters with more resources and more trained
volunteers. Mid-West Kentucky Chapter is one of 128 Red Cross chapters
awarded funds as part of the Wal-Mart Foundation’s initiative to
support disaster response and capacity building projects nationwide.
“This Wal-Mart Foundation Grant will help us have more materials
available such as cots and blankets and more highly trained disaster
volunteers when the next disaster happens,” said Jeanie Barnett,
Executive Director of the Mid-West Kentucky Chapter.
The Wal-Mart Foundation partnered with the American Red Cross to create
a $5 million Disaster Readiness and Capacity Building Grant Program.
This grant will benefit communities across the country that reside near
Red Cross chapters located in remote areas that often become isolated
during times of disaster and whose chartered jurisdictions serve less
than one million people – like the Mid-West Kentucky Chapter.
The grant will be used to purchase 50 cots, 50 blankets, 16 cambros for
keeping food hot/cold and to offer intermediate and advanced classes to
80 people in disaster response.
“At Wal-Mart, helping communities is what we do every day. And when a
crisis strikes, that charge becomes an even greater priority,” said
Margaret Mckenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation. “Our
long-standing support of the American Red Cross is evidence of our
commitment to supporting local disaster relief efforts. We are hopeful
that the $5 million we have given to local Red Cross chapters across
the country will result in the swift, effective response to disasters,
and the development of resources before disaster strikes.”
The Wal-Mart Foundation stands ready to help and to work with local
leaders, community organizations and elected officials in the instance
of a disaster. With a long-standing commitment to supporting local
disaster relief efforts, the Wal-Mart Foundation works with the
American Red Cross and other organizations in an effort to help its
neighbors and communities during times of need.
“We are appreciative to the Wal-Mart Foundation for this much needed
grant to enhance our local chapters’ ability to serve their
communities,” said Michael Brown, Vice President of Corporate and
Foundation Partnerships at the American Red Cross. “Because of their
generous support, we will be better positioned to prevent, prepare for
and respond to disasters in communities across the country.”
Thursday night, March 26 the Western Kentucky Corvette Club held a meeting at the Country Cupboard in Madisonville. The attendance was very good and the corvettes were all lined up on the parking lot of Country Cupboard.
Each year the Western Kentucky Corvette Club selects a non-profit agency to support. Their selection was the Mid-West Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross. Jeanie Barnett, Executive Director of the Chapter was in attendance at the meeting. The Western Kentucky Corvette Club presented the Chapter with their first check of $200.00. Ms. Barnett said, "This check makes it possible to be prepared to assist when the next disaster occurs in our area. A single family house fire is the disaster that occurs most often and we need to be ready to assist these families that lose everything".
Judge Donnie Carroll was present at this meeting to thank the Western Kentucky Corvette Club for selecting a Hopkins County agency to support this year. The club will also support the Hopkins County Assistance Center with a food drive in the future.
The picture shows Tommy Tichenor and the president David Burke (orangeshirt)
Jeanie Barnett and Judge Donnie Carroll
2/14/09 - Ice Storm/Shelter Update
The Mid-West Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross has placed its final two shelters on standby and will close the shelters on Saturday. The shelters in Madisonville and Greenville, KY have been open for two and one half weeks to assist persons displaced by the deadly ice storm and subsequent power outages.
Executive Director, Jeanie Barnett, said that the final numbers are not in but noted that the chapter has provided 4,702 shelter stays and has provided 30,211 meals in its six counties. “It will be several weeks before we have our final accounting.” Barnett said, “We do not know our total cost or how much money we can be reimbursed from the National Disaster Relief Fund. The total tab will be well above $200,000 but much of our food and supplies was donated; so, that will reduce the total costs. 165 local volunteers helped staff the Madisonville shelter at the Methodist Church; and, that was an important piece to our overall success.”
Barnett noted that this was the chapter’s largest sheltering operation since she has worked for the Red Cross and hopes she doesn’t have to do it again anytime soon. “I think our response to this disaster was excellent. I do not know of anything more we could have done. My staff and our volunteers did an outstanding job of meeting the need. We had many people who had special needs and medical conditions that required extra help. I cannot thank everyone enough for all this community has done to pull together and help one another.”
