DETROIT, MI-JULY 29, 2011- Two regions made up of five American Red Cross chapters in Southeast Michigan are joining hands in an effort to serve their communities more efficiently and effectively. The consolidation is part of a national Red Cross initiative to streamline operations, cut expenses, reorganize how services are delivered, and insure that donor dollars are put to their best use.

The region comprised of the Washtenaw and Lenawee County Chapters will merge with the region comprised of the Monroe and St. Clair County Chapters and the Southeastern Michigan Regional Chapter, which serves Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties. The new structure will allow the five chapters to coordinate most aspects of their work, including disaster relief, health and safety training, and assistance to military families. Administrative functions—such as finance, human resources, information technology, and marketing—will also be consolidated nationally, freeing staff to concentrate on program and service delivery.

“Pooling our resources and expertise provided us the opportunity to re-think how best to deliver vital services to our various communities,” says James L. Laverty, Southeastern Michigan Regional Executive Officer. “This is an exciting time to be involved in the Red Cross.”

The new structure will allow quicker access and deployment of the full array of Red Cross humanitarian and financial resources in times of disaster. While the new region will be managed from the Southeastern Michigan Regional Chapter in Detroit, each chapter will retain a strong community presence—conducting regular business hours at their current facility and delivering vital Red Cross services locally as in the past.

The reorganization prompted a reduction in paid staff. Historically, the Red Cross has relied heavily on volunteers to accomplish its mission, a dependence which is now even more essential. The new region will include 7240 volunteers and 5410 instructors authorized to teach Red Cross programs, including disaster preparedness, nurse assistant training, and CPR.

The new business model will strengthen the Red Cross and its capacity to provide core humanitarian services to those in need in the most cost-effective manner.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

The American Red Cross, Southeastern Region serves: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Lenawee, Monroe and St. Clair Counties

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