You might think of the Red Cross as a sort of insurance policy for this community, for the nation, even the world.
From a pint of blood collected from a donor to the relief of thousands of people displaced by disaster each year, that familiar symbol is present to remind us that volunteers stand ready to help.
American Red Cross week is a time set aside to highlight an organization that draws its inspiration from Clara Barton, the woman who founded it in 1881 after having already done almost superhuman work saving lives and giving comfort during America's most profound tragedy.
Like the "Angel of the Battlefield," the volunteers of the American Red Cross set their own lives aside to rush to the aid of those who fate has dealt a terrible blow.
The Warren County Chapter of the American Red Cross has kept up this tradition since 1916, working closely with emergency management agencies, fire services and social services groups to seek out and offer aid to those who need it most, and need it quickly.
It's a difficult task. It's an expensive task maintaining the equipment and other resources necessary to cover a myriad of emergencies.
That's why each year the Red Cross turns to the public for support, and that's why we encourage the public to do its part to keep this vital insurance policy in force.