At the end of June, during the grand-opening celebration for the new American Red Cross Preparedness and Response Center serving northern Santa Barbara County, the chapter’s capacity building campaign reached its $2.8 million goal.

“The northern Santa Barbara community, with the help of some very special guardian angels, really stepped up to the financial plate to ensure that this project would be completed,” said Janet Stanley, CEO of the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter. “North County residents understand that it is in their best interest, and the best interest of their neighbors, that the Red Cross has the ability to provide the best emergency preparedness and disaster response services possible.”

In August 2005, to ensure that the American Red Cross was prepared to serve the fast-growing Santa Maria and its neighboring cities, the chapter’s board of directors purchased an 11,750-square-foot warehouse for $1.3 million in Santa Maria.

Soon after, the chapter launched a capital campaign to raise an additional $1.5 million from individuals, businesses and foundations to transform this empty warehouse into a new Red Cross Preparedness and Response Center serving the northern region.

In the past, most Red Cross resources had been centralized at the chapter’s headquarters in Santa Barbara, but not anymore. This new center dramatically improves the capacity of the Red Cross to help North County residents prepare for and respond to disasters — both large and small. It also enhances the chapter’s ability to offer more lifesaving safety and preparedness classes, disaster volunteer training classes and other critical Red Cross services in Spanish and English.

Founded in Lompoc, the Santa Barbara County chapter has been serving county residents since 1892. During the past year, the chapter helped more than 30,000 people with services that saved lives and averted tragedies. The Red Cross is not a government agency. It depends on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services.

For more information, call the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter at 805.687.1331 in Santa Barbara, 805.928.0778 in Santa Maria or 805.736.5110 in Lompoc.

Marjorie Wass of SurfMedia Communications represents the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter.