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The USO and the American Red Cross are two of the most well-known and beloved service organizations in the country, and even though their most publicized work takes place far way from St. Louis – the USO supports our service men and women overseas and the Red Cross responds to disasters near and far – both organizations have a tremendous impact on the safety and well-being of people living right here in our community.

The St. Louis chapter of the American Red Cross is the 12th largest in the county. It recently announced that plans are in effect to attain a top disaster preparedness ranking currently held only by San Francisco and Chicago. “We have a very formidable chapter, dedicated to preparing, preventing and responding to emergencies big and small,” says Joe White, CEO of the St. Louis chapter.

Founded in 1917, the original mission of the St. Louis Red Cross was to provide emergency response to the victims of natural disasters. Today, although the Red Cross can still be found at the scene of fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, White says it has to expand its mission to include man-made disasters. “Our goal as an organization is to be completely prepared for whatever kind of disaster may strike,” says White.

Part of the motivation to pursue a ‘Level 3’ ranking (the highest given by the national organization) came in the aftermath of this year’s hurricanes in Florida.

“Being named a Level Three means that a chapter can respond to and manage a major disaster in its community for the first 72 hours (the most critical time) without assistance from the national headquarters. The Red Cross had 33,000 volunteers in Florida in the wake of the hurricanes. If a disaster would have struck in our area during that time and we had to count on the assistance of national headquarters which had already deployed a large chunk of its volunteer force to another area, we would have been in trouble. We want to stay ahead of the curve and be prepared to manage on our own,” White says.

This means training more volunteers in disaster response, CPR, first aid, and even the daytime clerical work that keeps the organization running. “Without volunteers, there is no Red Cross. The national headquarters doesn’t have the financial resources to keep the chapters running, so we count on our volunteers to keep our community safe,” says White.

In addition to training in life saving skills and first aid, disaster response volunteers also benefit from experience in the field. “It’s not enough to be trained inside our chapter. To fully be prepared to act should disaster strike here, our volunteers need to get out there to respond to fires in the West or floods in the South. Gaining experience on opening and managing a shelter, responding to the needs of police and firefighters, and managing victims in the field is critical to our cause.”

White says that although they might not always make headlines, disasters strike in our area every day. “We respond to more than 1,000 area fires each year. There are victims out there that need our help on a daily basis,” he says.

Between dealing with local disasters and training volunteers to become qualified in disaster response, the Red Cross also trains thousands of St. Louisans on how to be prepared and prevent disaster. “We have awareness campaigns that take us into schools and corporations, large and small. We train individuals not only in CPR and other lifesaving skills, but also in how to prepare for a disaster – how to have a plan and how to assemble a disaster kit so your family can mobilize as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency.”

Another time-honored volunteer service organization, the USO, has been a safe haven for service men and women since its founding by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. Designed to provide comfort, morale and recreation to service members and their families, the USO has 124 centers around the world, most located near areas of transit where deployed soldiers report for duty and soldiers on leave begin their journey home. The St. Louis center, the James S. McDonnell USO, Inc., opened in 1981 and is located at Lambert St. Louis International Airport.

Ginny Compton, executive director, explains its impact. “Since ’81, more than 3 million traveling military and their families have benefited from the services provided by the USO. It’s a meeting point for almost 1,000 new recruits each week on their way to Fort Leonard Wood for basic training. It’s like an oasis where they can come to relax while waiting to be assigned duty, on their way to or from training, or while on leave. We want it to feel like home.”

The St. Louis USO is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has a nursery, a play room, sleeping area, a canteen that serves food and drink, library, cybernet café – even a big-screen TV complete with Sony Play Stations. “Sometimes families with loved ones deploying overseas may be here for several days while waiting for assignment. We want them to be comfortable and enjoy their time together. We provide Metrolink tickets, warm showers and a place to rest.”

But enjoying the resources at the USO isn’t just about killing time. “We allow them to stay connected. We have Internet access and video messaging. Our volunteers are friendly faces for people who may just need someone to talk to or someone to thank them for their sacrifice,” says Compton.

The USO also provides services to the families of military personnel. “We help with a food pantry for spouses and host events like nights at the ball park or hockey game, golf tournaments and concerts.”

Each USO center is a nonprofit totally supported by the community in which it resides. “We do not receive funds from the government or United Way. It’s support from the private community, the business community and our volunteers that help us provide the resources for our soldiers and their families,” Compton says.

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