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Monongalia County proclaims March as American Red Cross Month; chapter asks for home‑fire aid and diverse-donor blood drive funding
Summary
The Monongalia County Commission on March 4 adopted a proclamation recognizing March as American Red Cross Month after a presentation from local chapter leaders. The Allegany Highlands chapter asked commissioners to consider funding for a home‑fire assistance campaign and a diverse-donor blood drive as part of the county's grant review process.
Jason Keeling, executive director of the American Red Cross Allegany Highlands chapter, presented the chapter’s 2025 local activity to the Monongalia County Commission on March 4 and asked for consideration of two funding requests during the county’s grant-review cycle.
Keeling told commissioners the chapter collected 4,264 units of blood in Monongalia County at 149 drives in 2025, provided disaster recovery services to 41 households (84 people) — primarily home fires — and trained 1,437 people in CPR and first aid. “We appreciate your annual support via resolution and in some years financially as well,” Keeling said.
The chapter’s two asks were summarized by Ashley Orbacheski, regional philanthropy officer: funding for a home‑fire campaign to assist households with immediate needs after fires (replacement medications, eyeglasses and other essentials) and support for a diverse-donor blood drive aimed at recruiting donors from underrepresented groups to improve supply matching for conditions such as sickle cell disease.
The commission read and approved a proclamation designating March as American Red Cross Month and thanked the chapter for local services. Commissioners noted the chapter’s request will be considered during the county’s grant review process (they said 59 grant applications were under review). The resolution to proclaim March as American Red Cross Month passed by voice vote.
What the county approved: The proclamation was adopted; no direct county appropriation was approved at the meeting. Keeling and chapter volunteers posed for a photo and said they would follow up with county staff about the grant application review timetable.
