The Tri-County Chapter of the American Red Cross, 701 Centre Avenue, Reading, will sponsor and host an evening Networking Mixer for members and guests of the Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, March 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Every year, the American Red Cross designates the month of March as Red Cross Month, a time to recognize our nation’s everyday heroes who help those in need in their community. Consequently, Red Cross hosts Adrian Grieve, Executive Director and Brett Mayer, Major Gifts Officer determined the month of March to be an especially appropriate time to invite chamber members to their Berks County office. Housed in a 1901 Victorian, the local chapter is sited in the beautiful Centre Park Historic District.
About six months ago, the Tri-County Chapter of the Red Cross joined the Northeast Berks Chamber, whose office is based in Kutztown, and the organization actively sought this type of partnership activity. Clare Kilpatrick Benz, chair of the Chamber’s Membership Committee, coordinated the event with the Red Cross.
The year 2016 also marks the 100th Anniversary of the Red Cross and the impact of its life-saving measures. The American Red Cross responds to a community disaster every eight minutes, providing shelter, food, emotional support and other necessities to those affected. At the Tri-County Chapter, staff assisted with 134 local disasters in the past year alone. Smoke detectors cut the risk of death from a fire in half. That’s why the Red Cross is working with community partners and local fire departments to install smoke detectors and provide fire safety education for families in need. The Tri-County Chapter has installed 526 smoke detectors and reached approximately 260 families with fire safety information over the past year. Through a worldwide network, the American Red Cross provides 24 hour support to members of the military, veterans and their families, in war zones, military hospitals and on military installations around the world. The Tri-County Chapter handles an average of 1,072 emergency military calls every year.
Admission to the evening Networking Mixer is free of charge, and members of the Northeast Berks Chamber are welcomed to invite guests. Off-street and street parking will be available. RSVP to Michelle Schilling at 610-683-8860.
The mission of Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce is to be a resource and a voice for its members (and those who are not yet members) in Northeast Berks County.
For more information about chamber events and marketing opportunities, please contact Lori B. Donofrio-Galley, Executive Director, at 610-683-8860 or at nbcc@ptd.net. For more information about the Tri-County Chapter of the Red Cross, visit http://www.redcross.org/local/eastern-pa/find-your-local-chapter/tri-county.
