St. Charles County Service Center thanks local supporters for dedication to community outreach

St. Louis, Friday, February 23, 2007 - The American Red Cross St. Charles County Service Center honored its volunteers and community partners on Friday during a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at the Stegton Regency Conference and Banquet Center in St. Charles, MO. During the event, the Red Cross highlighted community outreach made possible by outstanding community support. In 2006, the St. Charles County Service Center touched the community in the following ways:

• 19,222 school-age children were reached with preparedness curriculum through Community Disaster Education presentations.
• 3,291 school-age children learned important skills during Health and Safety presentations.
• 634 local residents were trained in lifesaving First Aid and CPR.
• 445 blood drives were staffed by local volunteers.
• 105 people from 33 families received emergency food, clothing, shelter, and long-term recovery referrals following local disasters.

"Thanks to our volunteers and community partners, the Red Cross is able to save lives every day in our community," said Brad Farber, Supervisor of the St. Charles County Service Center. "Their compassion and commitment to service is an inspiration to us all."

Louis T. Maull IV, Chairman of the St. Louis Area Chapter's Board of Directors, served as emcee during the luncheon. Vivian Luce, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and David A. Chumley, CEO of the Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region, delivered keynote addresses. Heather Honeycutt, Chair of the Board's Volunteer Committee, introduced each award recipient while Joanne Buttice, Director of Volunteer Resources, presented the awards.

About the Award Recipients:

• The Blood Services Award is presented to a volunteer who exemplifies a commitment to strengthen or improve our local blood supply through their dedicated efforts.
  • Emily Vanderbos (St. Charles, MO) - Emily has volunteered 81 hours at the permanent blood donor facility in St. Charles and at mobile drives throughout the county. Emily works full-time, volunteers for her church, and became a Red Cross volunteer in October, 1999.
    
    
• The Community Cares Award is presented to an individual, group, or organization that has improved Health and Safety and Community Disaster Education practices.
  • Fort Zumwalt School District - Under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Bernard DuBray, the district is focusing on school safety by training staff in First Aid, CPR and the proper use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). High school nurses are also being trained as instructors. Ostmann Elementary, led by Principal Gregg Sartorius and Assistant Principal Dave Brown, has welcomed Red Cross Disaster Awareness presentations that encourage children and their families to prepare for disasters by developing an emergency plan. Many other schools in the district have opened their doors to Red Cross preparedness curriculum, allowing the St. Charles County Service Center to reach 5,105 students with this important information. These schools include Emge Elementary, Dardenne Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary, Mid Rivers Elementary, Progress South Elementary, Rock Creek Elementary, St. Peters Elementary, Westhoff Elementary, West Middle School and Fort Zumwalt North High School.
  • Cottleville Fire Protection District - With support from Chief Rob Wylie and Assistant Chief Scott Freitag, the Cottleville Fire Protection District has endorsed the Red Cross Community Disaster Education program and has helped present the curriculum to the public. The district's efforts are a great example of the power of cooperative partnerships and have improved the community's ability to prepare for and respond to disasters.
    
    
• The Community Disaster Education Award is presented to a volunteer who has made a significant impact in the community by educating the public regarding the importance of emergency preparedness.
  • Bill Dennager (Warrenton, MO) - Bill has reached 5,235 school-age children through Community Disaster Education presentations and utilizes his creative talents to continually enhance his delivery. Bill has volunteered for the Red Cross since July, 2005 and also serves as a Disaster Action Team member.
  • Jean Smyth (St. Peters, MO) - Jean has reached 3,224 school-age children through Community Disaster Education presentations. Jean joined the Red Cross as a volunteer in January, 2005 and also serves as a Disaster Action Team leader, an Emergency Services caseworker, a Health and Safety instructor, and a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon Committee member. Jean also staffs Health and Safety booths to promote Red Cross programs and services in the community.
    
    
• The Disaster Services Award is presented to an outstanding volunteer who has responded to the immediate needs of disaster victims to help them recover as quickly as possible.
  • John Meisenbacher (O'Fallon, MO) - John volunteered 786 hours in 2006 as a Disaster Action Team leader and an Emergency Services caseworker. John supports Red Cross sheltering operations and also volunteers as a St. Peters C.E.R.T. member. John began volunteering for the Red Cross in January, 2005.
  • Theresa Meisenbacher (O'Fallon, MO) - Theresa volunteered 158 hours last year as a Disaster Action Team member and an Emergency Services caseworker. Theresa helps with Emergency Services data entry, supports Red Cross sheltering operations and is a member of the St. Peters C.E.R.T. Theresa joined the Red Cross as a volunteer in January, 2005.
    
    
• The Good Neighbor Award is presented to an individual, group, or organization for partnering with the Red Cross to provide services.
  • Minuteman Press - Jan Beardsley and the Minuteman Press team have printed and provided the programs for the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon since 2002, providing their expertise for this special event.
  • Office Depot - The Office Depot team, led by Rich Justin, has provided in-kind donations in support of the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, donating hundreds of document frames over the past five years. The Volunteer Awards and Certificates of Appreciation are included in these donations.
    
    
• The Health and Safety Award is presented to a volunteer who prepares others to save a life through CPR, First Aid, and AED instruction.
  • Mark Runge (St. Peters, MO) - In 2006, Mark taught CPR and First Aid to more than 100 students, volunteering 50 hours of instruction. Mark has been a Red Cross volunteer since 1988, filling in as a volunteer instructor whenever called upon while also serving as a Community Disaster Education presenter.
    
    
• The Honorary Service Award is presented in recognition of continued outstanding volunteer commitment.
  • Sharon Mayhew (Lake St. Louis, MO) - Sharon volunteered 175 hours to the Red Cross last year, creating the St. Charles County Service Center Scrapbook, helping in the office as an administrative assistant, and serving on the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon Committee. Sharon has volunteered for the Red Cross since September, 2005.
    
    
• The Humanitarian Service Award is presented to an individual who responds to emergencies and provides caring assistance and skilled expertise whenever called upon.
  • Loretta Buehrle (Wentzville, MO) - Loretta volunteered 88 hours in 2006 as a Disaster Action Team member, a Health and Safety instructor, a Community Disaster Education presenter, and a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon Committee member. Loretta has volunteered for the Red Cross since October, 2001, is an active C.E.R.T volunteer, and works full-time assisting individuals with special needs.
    
    
• The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a volunteer for outstanding Red Cross service spanning more than 20 years.
  • Harold Lewis (Florissant, MO) - Harold has been a dedicated Red Cross volunteer for more than 40 years, serving as an instructor, a shelter manager, a blood services volunteer, a Disaster Action Team leader and a Community Disaster Education presenter. Harold has responded to many disasters during his years as a Red Cross volunteer, including extensive local flooding during the 1990's.
    
    
• The New Outstanding Volunteer Award is presented to a volunteer who has been with the Red Cross for less than one year and has strengthened and improved services.
  • Tom Michel (St. Charles, MO) - Tom began volunteering for the Red Cross in June, 2006 as a Lifeline installer, helping approximately 20 St. Charles County citizens achieve peace of mind with the program. Tom is also a Disaster Action Team volunteer with his wife, Gail.
    
    
• The Partners in Caring Award is presented in recognition of extraordinary cooperative working relationships within the community.
  • Christian Foods - Chris Giarla, owner of five McDonald's Restaurants in the area, provides in-kind donations of food for Red Cross shelters and emergency responders. If emergency responders are on the scene of local disasters for extended periods of time, the Red Cross contacts Chris to coordinate food service to ensure that the needs of the emergency responders are met.
  • Harvester Christian Church - Pastor Ben Merold and Associate Pastor Kevin Hamilton partnered with the Red Cross following the widespread power outages that resulted from the January ice storm. The church opened its doors as a Red Cross shelter and church volunteers assisted with 24-hour transportation services for shelter guests.
    
    
• The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to the volunteer who has had the most profound impact on the St. Charles County Service Center and local Red Cross programs and services.
  • Larry Boyer (O'Fallon, MO) - Larry volunteered more than 230 hours to the St. Charles County Service Center in 2006 as a Disaster Action Team member. In addition, Larry maintains the response vehicle and helps to manage logistics, including inventory supplies. During the power outages that resulted from the windstorm in July, 2006, Larry volunteered during the relief effort by delivering meals to Red Cross shelters. Larry became a Red Cross volunteer in December, 2005 and fully supports daily operations.
  • Karen Wamble (St. Charles, MO) - Karen volunteered 1,424 hours last year, responding on the scene of many local emergencies as a Disaster Action Team leader. Karen also provides Emergency Services casework support and has built many partnerships in the community to advance the mission of the Red Cross. Karen is a Health and Safety instructor who specializes in Pet First Aid training and serves on the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon Committee. Karen joined the Red Cross as a volunteer in October, 2005.

In addition, Years of Service Pins were presented to volunteers who have given 20 years or more of dedicated service to the organization and community. The following volunteers received this special recognition:

• Olive Alexander (St. Charles, MO) - 25 years
• Virginia Mabry (St. Charles, MO) - 30 years
• Evelyn McClellan (St. Charles, MO) - 30 years
• Jeanette Wapplehorst (St. Charles, MO) - 30 years
• Eva Dieckmann (St. Charles, MO) - 40 years
• Harold Lewis (Florissant, MO) - 40 years

About Volunteer Opportunities:
The American Red Cross is led by dedicated volunteers and is supported by outstanding community partners. Locally, thousands of volunteers assist throughout the metropolitan area, and there are many opportunities for individuals to get involved in local Red Cross programs and services. The St. Charles County Service Center is actively seeking volunteers for their Disaster Action Teams, instructors for Health and Safety courses, volunteers for blood drives, and speakers for Community Disaster Education presentations. For more information, please call 636.397.1074, or log on to the St. Louis Area Chapter's website at www.redcrossstl.org. 

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 90 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 410,000 times each year. The Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.

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