Agencies American Red Cross

American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley

Contact Information:

Address: 220 8th St
Parkersburg, WV 26101

Name of Program Funded through UW: Disaster Services

Contact Name:  Sharon Kesselring

Phone Number: 304-488-5279

Email: [email protected]

Website: redcross.org/CAR

What is American Red Cross?

American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors. As a result, the American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors, and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that

…all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter, and hope;

…our communities are ready and prepared for disasters;

…everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products;

…all members of our armed services and their families find support and comfort whenever needed; and

…in an emergency, trained individuals are always nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives.

How does United Way support American Red Cross?

Emergencies are more common than you may think. The American Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes and responds 24/7. Nationally, the Red Cross and other organizations have pre-identified more than 52,000 potential shelter locations across the U.S. These shelters are ready to open within hours of a disaster. We have 22,000 workers — more than 90% of whom are volunteers — trained to help disaster victims, as well as 270 response vehicles positioned across the country. In addition, the Red Cross is stocked with tens of thousands of disaster relief supply items, such as cots, blankets, and cleaning products.

Additionally, we coordinate with local organizations in communities that provide disaster aid and often support these local organizations with expertise and supplies. With a diverse network of men and women committed to changing the world – one community at a time – the Disaster Cycle Services team manages emergency response, relief, and recovery by responding with volunteers on the frontlines during earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, home fires, and more. To emphasize, we coordinate Red Cross mission services delivery to people in need. In addition, United Way helps to fund our local response, the majority of which we can handle with local responders. But when the diasters deplete our local resources, we can call upon our national network to assist with local response.

More Info:

Red Cross volunteers and staff work 24/7/365 to deliver vital services – from providing relief and support to those in crisis to helping you be prepared to respond in emergencies. Above all, Red Cross’ focus is disaster relief, lifesaving blood, training & certification, military and veteran services, and international services. Our network of generous donors, volunteers, and employees share a mission of equally preventing and relieving suffering here at home and around the world.

Check out our other member agencies and learn more about their programs here!

About the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley

The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley supports Ohio County, Tyler County, Marshall County, Wetzel County, Brooke County in West Virginia, and Belmont County and Monroe County in Ohio. Donating through your local United Way is the best way to reach the most people in need. 

The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley is an organization that supports nonprofit organizations in our area through annual campaigns, payroll deduction fundraising efforts, and individual donations. These community-minded people combine donations from employees and businesses alike to help assist those who need it most. The support from the annual campaign is then allocated to nonprofit programs through our volunteer allocations panels. We support 40 programs (and counting) in the upper Ohio Valley that tackle the toughest needs in the Ohio Valley. Consider giving to the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley today.