"We're doing it in part because we are being transferred the responsibility of three additional counties in northwest Georgia," said Jac Whatley, executive director for the Coosa Valley Chapter and the upcoming Northwest Georgia Chapter. "We're going to be picking up Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties.
"Those three counties have been administered by the Chattanooga chapter up to this point," he said, adding the new addition will increase the chapter's coverage area to more than 495,000 people. "In order to get them aligned with GEMA and under the correct state divisional authority for the Red Cross, they're being moved into the authority of a Georgia chapter. So we want to be inclusive and that's a part of changing the name. We're also picking up some additional responsibilities for budgeting and staffing with a total of 10 counties in northwest Georgia."
Headquartered in Rome, Red Cross' Northwest Georgia Chapter will continue its presence in Bartow County, including operating an office at 320 W. Cherokee Ave., Suite 109, in Cartersville. One of the most notable changes in the chapter's operation will be instead of each county maintaining personnel, leadership will be handled regionally. The organization's new website, www.nwgaredcross.org, which is currently under construction also will provide a regional scope, with programs listed for all 10 counties.
"It's kind of a part of a statewide process. The smaller, one-county chapter has become the exception rather than the rule," Whatley said. "We're working with multiple counties now to eliminate the kind of duplication of positions that we used to have where four counties might mean four different executive directors. That kind of thing ends up not being very economical or very efficient. So now the objective is to work across county lines and work more cooperatively and under a more general direction."
In 2009, Red Cross disaster action teams provided assistance to about 100 Bartow residents, responding to 20 incidents, most of which were single-family house fires. More than 1,967 local people also attended 147 classes offered by the nonprofit, including CPR, First Aid, Aquatics, Certified Nursing Assistance and Babysitter Training.
From disaster response to armed forces emergency services, the nonprofit's programs rely heavily on the support of volunteers. The chapter's volunteer coordinator, Sharman Turner, said there is no substitute for having a strong, local volunteer base.
"The Red Cross is an amazing organization because looking at it from the outside in most people think [of] disaster [response] and critical need and that is very much a part of it -- the readiness, being ready to offer comfort or to offer services that are needed in a very timely fashion," Turner said. "But it even goes beyond that because we also offer support services to members of the military. So it's amazing. It's almost like if you have a talent, there's a place in the Red Cross for you.
"If you're a people person and you enjoy interaction with people, providing comfort, giving a listening ear, there are a lot of things you can do. ... [If] you enjoy logistics and numbers and may be a little bit more analytical, there's a lot of information that we have to keep track of. When we go out and respond to a disaster, we're collecting a lot of information. We're reporting what we see and how we're responding. So it's a really diverse organization in that respect because if you have a skill, we can find a place for you."
For those interested in volunteering, Turner can be reached at 706-291-6648 or sharmanturner@comcast.net.