(Brooks, Alberta) – The support and services the City of Brooks and the County of Newell has come to expect from the Canadian Red Cross will now be enhanced and supported through the Red Cross office located in Medicine Hat, Alberta effective May 1, 2013.
"We are consistently looking for ways to improve our services and help as many people as we can with the resources we have," says Jenn McManus deputy provincial director for the Canadian Red Cross in Alberta. "The decision to merge our Brooks location into our Medicine Hat office was informed by an in-depth analysis of Red Cross’s service throughout Alberta. By joining the two offices together, Red Cross is able to expand and enhance access to its services – such as disaster response, first aid, swimming and water safety as well as violence and abuse prevention programs – for residents in and around Brooks."
The work of the Canadian Red Cross in Alberta is volunteer-driven and conducted through community-based volunteer teams. A physical office space is not reflective of the level of service offered through the Red Cross. The coordination of local volunteers will now occur through the Medicine Hat office.
One staff person will be affected by this merger and has been notified of this operational decision.
"The Canadian Red Cross is extremely thankful to the staff person and volunteers in Brooks and the County of Newell," says McManus. "The City of Brooks and surrounding areas will continue to be volunteer-supported and we hope to continue to be invited into the community for many more years of working to help those in need."
The residents of Brooks and its surrounding area can access Canadian Red Cross programs and services through the office located in Medicine Hat at 389 Aberdeen Street SE. For more information, please contact the Medicine Hat office at 403-526-3048, or visit the Red Cross website at www.redcross.ca