The American Red Cross is consolidating its Golden Triangle operations.
The national organization is shopping for a building in the West Lowndes area to locate a regional office.
The office will serve Lowndes, Clay, Chickasaw, Monroe and Noxubee counties (currently served by the Columbus chapter), as well as Oktibbeha, Webster and Winston counties (currently served by the Starkville chapter.
The consolidation is part of a continued effort to streamline operations within the organization. Last year, the Red Cross underwent a massive realignment, bringing both the Oktibbeha and Lowndes branches under the umbrella of the Northeast Mississippi Red Cross in Tupelo. The Red Cross” consolidated 13 Mississippi chapters into five in 2010.
“Services will be the same,” assured Becky Thomas, director of the Tenn-Tom chapter of the Red Cross. Fire families will be taken care of in the exact same way. Disaster victims will still be taken care of in the exact same way. We will just be a Golden Triangle Red Cross, taking care of our counties the same way we always have.”
Thomas, who retires as director today, sees the move as a smart one, saving money and pooling resources.
“It”s going to be great to combine everything and be in one facility,” she said, noting there will be no job loss, only some reassignment of duties.
The Tenn-Tom chapter”s satellite office in West Point moved to Columbus, after the April 27 tornado caused heavy damage to the West Point office. Calls to the West Point office are being forwarded to the Columbus office.
The American Red Cross responds to and helps communities prepare for emergencies, training volunteers and offering classes in CPR, first aid and baby sitting.
The organization was founded in 1881.
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