North Central Ohio Chapter

By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

When’s the last time you got to see an honest-to-goodness hero up close and personal? I did recently –eight of them, in fact – plus a bonus humanitarian.

The American Red Cross of North Central Ohio hosted an event featuring video interviews of these men and women recounting episodes that suddenly put them in lifesaving situations.

And then there they were, in person. Some of them trained responders, some of them just like you and me, bystanders who reacted to prevent what could have been tragedy: fire, heart attack, blood shortage, attempted suicide, gunshot and more.

What a privilege it was to applaud these folks and to realize that none of us knows when we might be in a similar situation.

The harrowing story of how three women helped several developmentally disabled adults to safety in the aftermath of a road rage shooting:

While at the Findlay Art Walk, Mike Woodruff and Officer Nicholas Price stepped in to help when an attendee had a cardiac emergency:

Melissa Roszman shares how she helped an elderly resident escape a fire and went back to extinguish the flames:

Police officer Christofer Perry shares how he intervened to help a man suffering a mental health crisis:

Columbiana Township Fire Chief Ray Anthony hosts regular blood drives that have impacted his community for years and helped save many lives:

I was pleased to see my Red Cross chapter award its first-ever Clara Ayers Award, named for a Red Cross volunteer nurse from Seneca County who lost her life on the way to the battle fields of Europe during World War I.

Retired nurse Pam Oglesbee couldn’t sit home while the Putnam County Board of Health struggled to get folks vaccinated against COVID-19, so she volunteered to schedule and give vaccines at clinics across her rural county. She continues to help with flu shot clinics, teaches CPR and donates blood. A genuine humanitarian:

Heroes are all around us, without capes and crowns. The Red Cross wants to spotlight those folks, wherever they are in northern Ohio, because it’s our mission to alleviate human suffering by mobilizing the power of volunteers. If you’d like to nominate a hero, click here.

By Todd James, Executive Director, American Red Cross of North Central Ohio

When you work as hard as our American Red Cross team does every day, it is important that the space you are working in is comfortable and that you look forward to spending time there. We are excited to say that our North Central Ohio Chapter headquarters in Findlay is such a place! Recently, the office was completely renovated top to bottom, inside and out, as part of a nationwide office refresh initiative by the Red Cross.

Todd James outside the new Findlay headquarters

With fresh paint inside and out, building repairs, new flooring, new fixtures in the bathrooms, more accessibility including automatic doors, a new parking lot, new signage and more, our office is now a place where volunteers, community partners, families who are meeting with disaster recovery specialists and all visitors will feel welcome and comfortable.

It is surprising how much your mood can be lifted when you are working in a bright, clean, welcoming space and we are glad to offer such a space to our team and those we serve. We are very involved in our community, offering our location to partners and community organizations who need a meeting or workspace and now we can offer, in my opinion, the best location in town for groups to meet, a real showcase for the Red Cross and our commitment to our stakeholders and our community.

During a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 18th , representatives of the Findlay- Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and the Findlay Fire Department joined Red Cross board members, volunteers and employees to dedicate the newly refreshed space, along with a representative from U.S. Senator JD Vance’s office. On the day after Ohio’s junior Senator accepted the nomination for Vice President from the Republican Party, I accepted a proclamation stating, in part, “The Red Cross has long been a beacon of hope and support for countless individuals and communities in times of need, and your renovated office will undoubtedly enhance your capacity to deliver these critical services more efficiently and effectively.”

If you couldn’t join us for our Open House, we invite you to stop by our office at 125 Fair St. in Findlay and see for yourself. We will give you the “nickel tour” and tell you about the many volunteer opportunities available, so you can make this your home away from home.

See more photos from the ribbon cutting ceremony in our photo album here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region

Tag Archives: North Central Ohio Chapter

Heroes from North Central Ohio honored

Remodeled office space puts a smile on my face – and other faces, too