Mr. Jourdan commended the Rotary Club of Beaumont for its history and impact over the years.

The American Red Cross of Southeast & Deep East Texas covers 14 counties - Angelina, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby and Tyler. Within the American Red Cross, the Gulf Coast Region, which Southeast Texas is a part of, is second in the nation for major disasters in the last five years. The Southeast & Deep East Texas chapter is number one in the Gulf Coast Region for natural disasters based on Harvey, Imelda, Laura, Delta, Zeta, Port Neches Refinery blast and several other events that have happened in between, like the Texas winter storm and COVID-19.

 

He said, “We have been in generational unprecedented times in the last five years.”

The number one major disaster in our nation’s history – Harvey – hit our region with 70.5 inches of rain in five days. Homes that had never flooded did for the first time and have flooded several times since.

A huge part of being able to recover from disasters is having organizations like Rotary Club of Beaumont, but also United Way, the Food Bank, Nutrition and Services for Seniors, Southeast Texas Civilian Task Force, Salvation Army, Some Other Place and the Foundation of Southeast Texas.

“Bringing the resources together to impact the community is critical,” said Jourdan. “We’re not a Houston. We don’t have organizations that come in at a moment’s notice; we must do it collectively and the way we do that is through an organization called Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD). Those organizations come together recognizing that no one organization can do it alone.”

The Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton and a group of her friends who lived in Washington, D.C. She and her friends began providing care to those coming off the Civil War battlefield. That care led to her work in Abraham Lincoln’s White House to do something the Red Cross still does today – Restoring Family Links. She helped individuals who were hurt or dying find their families. That initiative evolved to become the American Red Cross. Disaster related efforts came about 10 years after the organization’s founding, but the heart and soul of the American Red Cross is with veterans and armed services. Today if you go to Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, there is a Red Cross office there and the same services – emergency notifications are still provided. All soldiers upon entering the military register with the American Red Cross. If there is an emergency that happens at home; the family notifies the Red Cross, and the Red Cross notifies their command and flies the soldier home. The American Red Cross also has a call center, an 877-number open 24/7, 365 days for members of the armed services, family members of armed services or community members to call if they see there is a veteran or armed service person in need. American Red Cross provides this service for the Department of Defense.

The mission statement is:
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

The American Red Cross is one of the most recognized brands around the world second only to Coca Cola. Some of Red Cross services are:

- Blood services
- Training services
- Disaster services
- Disaster responses
- International services
 

41% of the nation’s blood supply is collected by the Red Cross; they are the largest blood supplier and collector in the U.S. Around the U.S. the Red Cross is most widely known for its disaster and blood services.

The American Red Cross of Southeast & Deep East Texas is one of four chapters in the Texas Gulf Coast region. There are three regions in the state of Texas and 50 regions in the nation. There are 236 chapters on the humanitarian side and Southeast & Deep East Texas is in this group.
Four years ago, the Southeast & Deep East Texas chapter celebrated its centennial. The chapter was started by the Starks, the Claybars and other old families of Southeast Texas to rally people to respond to World War I. Most Red Cross chapters across the nation were started by community leaders and organizations during World War I.

The chapter has a large presence in the region with offices in Lufkin, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, Woodville and in Beaumont in the back of the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce. Most of the presence is about individuals and not about offices.

There are 16 members of the chapter board and five committees. Sky Thompson is the board chair.

Most people know the American Red Cross for its responses to disasters. Jourdan’s hardest deployment to a disaster in the last six years was to the wildfires in California. He was in Paradise, California where 83 people perished. Jourdan also responded to the Santa Fe High School shootings. Although those situations are difficult, the American Red Cross continues to serve the community.

Most of the 60,000 disasters that the American Red Cross responds to annually are house fires. There have been 570 house fires in the region covered by Southeast & Deep East Texas in the last year, and they provide emergency food, clothing and shelter to families impacted by house fires.

After major disasters there is typically a spike in house fires. Jourdan says the fires are largely electrical because people try to fix electrical problems that require professionals. Disaster Action Teams respond to these fires.

Most individuals who work for the Red Cross are volunteers. In fact, 90% of the people with the American Red Cross are volunteers. “They are the heart and soul of the American Red Cross,” said Jourdan. “Without American Red Cross volunteers, there is no Red Cross.” When there is a huge disaster – wildfires, hurricanes, etc. – most American Red Cross workers who respond to those major events are volunteers. Sometimes staff members responding to disasters work for volunteers who are leading a response.

The American Red Cross provides an 800-number available 24/7, 365 to report house fires. It is 800-Red-Cross. The fire departments know to call the number. The number is linked to a dispatch center.

COVID-19 has changed some processes. During disasters like hurricanes, the Red Cross provides shelter and feeding operations. Pre-pandemic, shelters were opened in large facilities. During the pandemic, individuals were sheltered in hotels, COVID-19 checks were conducted, and social distancing maintained. Feeding operations were also done very differently.

All Southeast & Deep East Texas front-line staff and volunteers have been vaccinated in the chapter. Jourdan attributed fast vaccinating to effective county judges, mayors and emergency managers. He said, “The reason they are so good is because they’ve done it (responded to disasters) at a very high level and a very high rate. We’re fortunate here to have some of the very best, from a disaster response perspective and a recovery perspective, county judges and emergency managers who know what they are doing.”

Jourdan shared the projected hurricane numbers for 2021 from Colorado State:
- 17 named storms
- 8 hurricanes
- 4 major hurricanes

“We are going to have a very active season, again,” said Jourdan. “We have to be prepared; we have no choice. The community depends on us.”

Jourdan says the Red Cross looks at the cumulative effect each storm has had on a community – mental health and physical impact.

If there is an official order to evacuate, Jourdan encourages people to evacuate to alleviate the strain and potential danger to first responders and themselves.
 
There is an American Red Cross Southeast Texas Stand Down 2021 at Bob Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur benefiting homeless veterans, their families and the homeless.

Services at the event include:
30+ nonprofits that provide services to homeless veterans and veterans:
- clothing
- shelter/hours information
- information for the disabled
- medical screenings
- legal services
- VA claims & benefit information
- substance abuse treatment info
- HIV/AIDS information
- SNAP (food stamp) information
- help with DD214
- services for women veterans
- sack lunches

It's a walk-through event, Friday, May 14 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Social distancing and masks required.
 
There will be another one of these events in August in Orange and in September in Beaumont. American Red Cross seeks to make veteran services more readily available to veterans. These events seek to bring all services to one place.

Two things really make up the Red Cross and what they are about:

1. Volunteers
2. Fundraising

Jourdan encouraged volunteerism with Red Cross or any nonprofit organization.

One of the things that Red Cross does to try and offset house fires is installing smoke alarms as part of the “National Sound the Alarm” program. They work with volunteer fire departments and install smoke alarms with 10-year lithium batteries in homes. They also provide a home fire checklist.

In the case of a house fire, the American Red Cross will provide food, clothing, shelter, prescription medication, adaptive devices and mental health services and counseling. If there is a death in the family, they provide assistance for burial services.

chester.jourdan@redcross.org

 

Link to handouts:   LINK HERE.

 

Photos by Jennifer Gregory: