Rutherford Weekly

The American Red Cross again has a physical presence in Rutherford County. With an office inside the United Way building on Withrow Road, American Red Cross Community Executive Amanda Edwards is quick to point out that ARC's presence was never absent in Rutherford County. "The community thought we'd left because the building wasn't there," she said. "We're not a building. We are a team of volunteers, and the work that was being done hasn't gone away." With the office location at United Way, Edwards continued, ARC will have an even more visible presence for the community. "We will have paid staff in the office on a rotating schedule, and as part of our volunteer recruitment we'll try to find volunteers to be there as well. Volunteers are staff, too - we refer to our team as paid and volunteer staff. Those folks are actually more often than not more important than the paid staff." The new physical location, added Rebecca Evans, disaster program manager, means you'll start to see more volunteers out and about at community events. "That's something we hadn't been as involved in, and it's one of my top priorities to get us back in front of people," Evans explained. "Having this space will also help us have material resources available as we respond to those local disaster calls." During this fiscal year, Evans said, there were 20 cases opened for disasters that included floods, fires and trees on houses. "We helped 64 people in that process, and I think that number will continue to increase," she said. ARC responds to a variety of disasters, Evans added, from manmade to natural disasters. Even events like winter storms that create extended power outages can cause ARC to respond. The new brick-and-mortar location will also provide more of an opportunity for community preparedness and youth education. "We want to get into the schools and talk about water safety and home fire safety," Evans said. "We were able in January to do a home fire campaign event in partnership with the Spindale Fire Department and install 99 smoke alarms. That's something I anticipate with growing relationships is to really be able to talk more about the importance of home fire safety." Another education piece planned is the pillowcase project, Evans continued, which is geared to third through fifth grade students. This is the age, she explained, when kids are more likely to talk with their families about what they learned at school. The project includes home fire safety and another local hazard and provides students the science behind it and how to be prepared. At the end, students receive a pillowcase and talk about how to build an emergency supply kit. In order to provide services to the community, Edwards said, volunteers are always needed. "We have several volunteers and are working to rebuild that volunteer base," Evans said. "We need volunteers in all capacities, so we absolutely need more folks. We can't do our work without our volunteer staff." The volunteers and the services offered are what matter most, Edwards added. "I think one thing I want to start to reiterate is that we never left," she said. "It appears that way, but it's more than four walls. It's about the services that we provide and the volunteers who provide those services. We need more folks to volunteer to help out, which in turn will allow us to increase our presence and the work we do." For more information on services and volunteer opportunities, contact the American Red Cross in Rutherford County at 828- 333-9523. OUR 24 th YEAR • ISSUE NO. 31 • August 4, 2016 RutherfordWeekly.com 828-248-1408 FREE FREE ©Community First Media Community First Media Mon-Sat 11am-6pm E Juice • Glass Pipes T-shirts • & More 719 S. 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All New With a physical presence in Rutherford County again, the American Red Cross hopes to rebuild its volunteer base in order to provide more education and community services, like the installation of smoke alarms. In January the organization partnered with Spindale Fire Department to install 99 smoke alarms in homes. With h i l i R th f d C t Relationship based ministry helping homeowners in the county For seven weeks youth and adults from more than 35 states have visited Rutherford County to help homeowners here to have warmer, safer and drier homes. Appalachia Service Project (ASP), a "relational ministry with construction on the side," is open to all people and utilizes volunteer labor throughout the year to address critical housing needs in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The Summer Home Repair Program is conducted each year from June until August. Last week youth and adults from Fairfield United Methodist Church in High Point worked to address needs at a home in Mooresboro, completing the construction of a bedroom addition on a mobile home. "There are actually six projects going on this week," said Rachel Koehler, a former volunteer who is on staff for the first time this summer. "This summer there has been 12 to 15 families helped." Coming into a job that was started by others has its challenges, said Michael Rhoney, a member of Fairfield UMC, but the work is very rewarding. "This is the first time we've stayed in North Carolina to do mission work," Rhoney said. "And really our focus this time for our youth is that we do have needs very close to home." The work the group provided was "the most intense construction work" they'd done, Rhoney said, but ASP gives very specific instructions. "We got an update last week of the progress on this project, but we really didn't know exactly what we were walking into," he said. "But we have a general contractor on our team, so that helps." "It really is harder than most of our mission trips, because in the past we've usually been hanging out with older people," said Garrett Booker. "It makes me feel good to know we've helped someone who doesn't have as much as we do," said Charlie McKeown. Homeowners had to apply to receive services from ASP, Koehler said, and prior to work beginning each application was reviewed to see what projects volunteers could tackle. "We do a home visit and depending on the safety of the project and based on our volunteers capabilities, we determine if we can help. For those we can't complete, we offer them information on where they can get it fixed." Because relationship building is a big part of ASP's services, Rhoney said the group had worked to develop a kinship with the homeowner and her children. While the girls waited for paint to dry on the door for the bedroom, they played video games with the boys who lived in the home. There's also fun and games for them to engage in as well, explained Koehler. "Today is Whip Flip Wednesday," she said, squirting whipped cream onto the arm of a volunteer. The object of the game is to flip the whipped cream and have it land in your mouth. Other days are themed as well, she added, with Theme Song Thursday and Awkward Family Photo Friday. While homeowners benefit from having much needed home repairs completed, it is the youth who complete the work who benefit most. "Mission work like this gives them organizational skills and well as leadership skills they can use going forward," Rhoney said. For more information on Appalachia Service Project, visit asphome.org.

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