American Red Cross
The American Red Cross’s (ARC) motto of “The need is real, the time is now” certainly applied to the Southside Area Chapter in 2008. After a period of negative finances, Rosalyn Andrews, Chief Operating Officer of the Southside Area Chapter knew some changes would have to be made if the chapter was going to be able to keep providing its disaster relief services. As Andrews recalled, “In 2008, we were in a very difficult financial situation. We went to the folks at The Cameron Foundation as we knew that they are there to help, and we told them our story. What they told us was, ‘If you help yourself, we will help you, as well.’ ” The result of that open discussion dramatically changed the financial reserves of the chapter and helped to make it a much stronger organization.
In response to ARC Southside’s need, the Foundation set up a grant structure that would provide the local chapter with up to $260,000 to establish a reserve fund. In addition, the Southside Area Chapter would have to raise $50,000 each year for up to three years from the community to meet a matching requirement for a portion of the Cameron funds. As Andrews admitted, “No one group had ever offered to help us in that way. But, the community had to assist, as well. When the community knew that The Cameron Foundation was backing us, it truly helped with the concept of ‘success breeds success,’ and the outside funds started coming in.”
Indeed, there is a lot that the ARC Southside does for the community that no one sees directly. From housing a family displaced by a home fire to responding with natural disaster relief, again and again, it is there to provide the needed support and give the helping hand. As Andrews noted, “You may not always see us, but you would certainly notice if we were not there during a time of great need. When I think about my job, I know why I love it so: What I do has an impact.”
As it turns out, the effort that this chapter puts out in the community has not gone wholly unnoticed. In 2009, one of these acknowledgements came in the form of The Cameron Foundation’s Cleveland A. Wright Award for Outstanding Community Service. This honor, which carries a $40,000 unrestricted gift, is awarded to just one organization each year for its commitment to caring and generosity of spirit, openness and accessibility. Andrews remarked, “To earn the Cleve Wright Award was huge for us. We know we do good things, but to have others acknowledge that and receive unrestricted money, as well – that is amazing.” As it continues to grow its reserve funds, the ARC Southside strengthens its central role in the region.