Letter from Tennessee River Executive Director, Katy Hagstrom - November 2017

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

As we reflect on the recent months in our chapter, region, and across the country it is astounding to see how communities have come together. Eighteen volunteers and staff members from across our chapter dedicated two or more weeks of their time to respond in the preparedness, response, and recovery phases to Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, and California. Their mission was to support those affected by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Nate, and the California Wildfires.

In the past week, we have welcomed home all of our local volunteers and were eager to celebrate their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments. It has also been a time to reflect on the growth of our chapter as we seen many new volunteers who were ready to serve the mission and those affected. Not only did we see growth in our volunteer base, but also in donors throughout the community who stepped up in a time of need and enabled the American Red Cross to provide assistance through financial contribution.

As addressed in the mission statement, to everyone who played a role in preventing and alleviating human suffering through the recent disaster response efforts whether through time or treasure, we thank you for your selfless contribution.

- Katy Hagstrom