By Leesha Faulkner

It’s hard to imagine the American Red Cross celebrates 140 years. And, in some measure, the Red Cross has been there every time you turn around – even here in Lee County.

A little background, first. Clara Barton was 59 years old in 1881 when she organized what would become the American Red Cross. She worked in U.S. government when the Civil War broke out. She realized, after much bandage rolling and support, that soldiers needed help on battlefields, so she went. That’s how she became the “Angel of the Battlefield.”

But it was a trip to Europe after the Civil War, where she learned of the Geneva, Switzerland-based Red Cross and its clarion for international agreements to protect the sick and wounded as a result of war. She became aware of the national societies that gave volunteer aid. She brought home the notion, and for 23 years served as the leader of the American Red Cross.

Mississippi received the benefits of her knowledge and expertise just two years after she created the agency. In April 1883, a deadly tornado struck rural Copiah County, killing many and wounding even more. A series of letters and telegraphs in storage among her papers at the Library of Congress demonstrate her ability to marshal people and resources to the region.

In 1917, about seven years after Barton’s death, Lee County organized its Red Cross chapter. And what a history!

We are familiar with the tornado of 1936. The day after that Palm Sunday in April, the American Red Cross rolled into Tupelo to set up a feeding station at the American Legion. They fed 4,000 people in a single day. Injured people who could not afford hospitalization, but required being sent to a hospital in Memphis or somewhere in Mississippi, didn’t have to worry. The Red Cross paid for those expenses. Those less injured received assistance at a Red Cross First Aid station staffed with four nurses, paid for by Red Cross donations.

Representatives of the state and national Red Cross offices negotiated with railroad companies to establish a “boxcar city” in town that would provide shelter for those without housing. Thirty disaster workers and a building adviser were on hand to assist with the rebuilding.

By November of that year, Lee County had the largest Red Cross enrollment of subscriptions – about 4,000 – for any Mississippi county. The Clarion Ledger chastised Hinds County folk for lagging behind. Hinds County had more people and had benefitted, especially when the Pearl River flooded, to lead the way. But, no, Lee County dug deep.

Three years later about 200 people from 24 counties in North and East Mississippi gathered at the Tupelo Country Club to honor those who had volunteered.

The Northeast Mississippi Chapter of the Red Cross continued its work. Not soon forgotten in more recent history, the response to a fire that took out four apartments in Tupelo in 1996 on Dec. 22, leaving families without anything. The local Red Cross assisted and the volunteer spirit – the Tupelo Spirit – kicked in.

In August 2005 when Katrina wreaked havoc on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Patty Tucker and her volunteers set up cots, meals, telephones, and internet at the BancorpSouth Arena. Three hundred people took solace there. The unit kept the shelter open until October.

In 2014, when a tornado raked through Tupelo, the local chapter helped with volunteer events, joining with the United Way in ensuring recovery efforts ran smoothly.

In 2015, the local Red Cross with approval from national awarded Sihya Smith its highest lifesaving award, acknowledgement of Smith using her skills as a lifeguard – another Red Cross program – to save a 60-year-old woman who had passed out in the pool at the Tupelo Aquatic Center.

Just as recently as two weeks ago, after tornadoes and thunderstorms had ripped through our area, the local chapter’s executive director K.C. Grist began assembling volunteers and going door-to-door to help assess damages and check on those who had remained in their homes.

So, Red Cross, happy anniversary. We in Tupelo are proud of your story. We appreciate the masks your volunteers donated to veterans, the lessons in how to protect ourselves from fire and storm, the first aid courses, and that your volunteers are always there to serve.

Leesha Faulkner is curator of the Oren Dunn City Museum. She may be reached at leesha.faulkner@tupeloms.gov.

Everyday Heroes is a new series featuring outstanding local American Red Cross volunteers who take giving back to their community to a whole new level. This month we’re highlighting Jeremy Westmoreland, founder and chair of the Young Professionals Board (YP Board).

Based in Huntsville, AL, Jeremy has been hard at work helping the Red Cross with disaster response, arranging feeding/sheltering agreements and leveraging both his and his organization’s expertise to appeal to a younger blood donor audience.

Jeremy’s work with the Red Cross doesn’t end there though. Recently, through his joint efforts with the Service to the Armed Forces division (SAF), Jeremy was able to secure wish list items, including iPads and computers for the residents of the Tut Fann Veterans Home in Huntsville.

Dedicated to serving our troops, the SAF helps military members and their families by providing critical services and comforts from home to veterans in military hospitals around the world and by offering assistance to their family after their service ends.

Jeremy’s initiative and dedication to members of his community and our troops, make us proud to feature him as the first of many Everyday Heroes.

To find out how you can become an everyday hero and make a difference in your community, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday and find a role that suits you!

Written by: David Rauch / American Red Cross

Being the spouse of a Veteran and a mother of two boys, I know there may be challenging times for a child that has a parent in the military. When my husband deployed to Iraq for a year in 2005, my then 7th grader kept all his feelings inside when he was at home, but had no problem letting them out while at school. My eldest son who was a freshman in college at the time, felt like he had to step up and be the man of the house…neither worked for me. I couldn’t let a teenager have that type of pressure on him, just as I could not allow a 7th grader to feel like he could do anything he wanted to do just because his father was not present.

Our children who grow up with a parent in the armed forces may have different ways of expressing their feelings according to their relationships within their household, but there’s one thing I’m sure they all will feel with growth, pride.

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They will be proud of the sacrifice that their parent(s) made serving. They will understand that it is not only an honor but a privilege to serve our wonderful country. They will learn that the military may not be for everyone, but everyone is for the military. With this being said, my hat goes off to our military children, for they too have made sacrifices and I know it is not easy. When their parent serves the greatest country in the world, the entire family does as well. May God Bless the children of the armed forces and the United States of America.

Debra Collins is the spouse of Retired Maj. Gen. Augustus Leon Collins, former commanding general of the Mississippi National Guard.

The Alabama and Mississippi Region proudly announces its monthly recipient of the KIND Award: a volunteer that is K(knowledgeable) I(involved) N(notable) D(dedicated). For the month of April, our award winner is Fran Lawlor representing the Mid Alabama Chapter!

Fran serves in multiple roles in Volunteer Services-as an Instructor, a Regional Volunteer Relations Team Lead, an Engagement Lead and as a Screening Lead. She is truly an asset to the Volunteer Services team and has currently been active with the Red Cross for the past three years. Fran, however, is not new to the organization. She was a Junior Volunteer as a teenager and previously taught CPR courses.

Fran decided to serve with the Red Cross to assist others in their time of need. She states she has had many memorable moments throughout her Red Cross tenure-conducting screening interviews, teaching classes and solving problems (her strength!) Being selected for this award she feels has been the most memorable moment of all!

When Fran is not volunteering with the Red Cross, she enjoys gardening and giving tours with the Botanical Gardens.

She has also competed in ballroom dance competitions and was a Girl Scout leader for many years. She also served as the Superintendent of Schools for the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama.

Carol Battersby, Senior Engagement Specialist in Volunteer Services states Fran is an invaluable asset to the Red Cross. She serves in two key leadership roles. In her VS Screening Lead role, she helps prospective Red Crossers identify what role they would like to serve in and makes sure they have all the information they need to decide the best match for their interests. As a volunteer lead, Fran provides training, guidance and support to the other Screening team members. In her role as Regional HR Lead, Fran works with volunteers and volunteer supervisors to resolve conflict; sometimes spending countless hours until the issue is resolved. Fran also facilitates the Get Connected new volunteer orientation making sure new volunteers are welcomed and informed in their on- boarding process. Fran’s history with the Red Cross goes far back to when she started as a Red Cross Youth volunteer. She also serves on the Regional Volunteer Recognition Committee. Fran is the definition of KIND. Her Knowledge, Involvement and Dedication is Notable. The Red Cross is incredibly lucky to have her service. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.

On behalf of the Alabama and Mississippi Region, congratulations Fran on being selected as the April recipient of the KIND Award. We appreciate your service and dedication to the Red Cross mission!

On June 29, 2019, Lindsey Gober courageously saved the life of a 22-month child by performing CPR, a skill which she had gained through her training with the Red Cross. Lindsey saw the child floating in a swimming pool and immediately sprung into action, removing the child from the water. Turning the child onto its back, Lindsey proceeded to give back blows in an effort to remove the water from the child’s lungs. Lindsey then administered CPR for 15 minutes while the child struggled to gain full consciousness. In a successful attempt, Lindsey grabbed a bottle of cold water and poured it down the child’s back. Miraculously, the child let out a cry. When the Emergency Medical Services arrived, the child was conscious and in stable condition. Lindsey’s quick thinking and CPR skills allowed her to save a life. 

For her heroic actions, Lindsey Gober received the Lifesaving Award, one of the highest awards given by The American Red Cross. This award recognizes individuals who have performed courageous, lifesaving acts by using skills they learned through training programs offered by The Red Cross. Lindsey’s actions exemplify service to those in distress. By taking initiative and using the skills she learned from her red cross training, Lindsey has demonstrated the important impact learning emergency skills can have in saving a life. 

The Red Cross offers a variety of training that allows people to gain knowledge and skill which can be utilized in emergencies to save or sustain lives. Lindsey, and other Lifesaving Award recipients like her, display the importance of having these skills in society.

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