With the outbreak of World War I in Europe, an
appeal came from Washington to raise money in order to provide aid
to refugees. By 1917 war had unified the chapter as it did the
nation and in April the Macon headquarters moved into the Lanier
Hotel. The McHattons turned over their house on College Street for
supply storage, and a room at the Dempsey Hotel was made available
for making surgical dressings.
On the domestic front, the Chapter’s first
“Civilian Home Service Committee” was formed to organize
projects like providing high top shoes for sanitation workers and
improving the nutritional diet at the Macon Hospital during the
great flu epidemic. In 1918 a Junior Red Cross came into being,
with 500 children belonging to 12 school auxiliaries.
1920's
While no
chapter records were found between 1920 – 1928, it is known that
several Red Cross projects continued, such as the anti-TB work,
home hygiene, lifesaving and assisting disabled veterans. In 1923
the Chapter raised money to assist victims of the Tokyo earthquake
(99,000 dead).
1930's
Some aspects of the late 1920’s were
unpleasant for the Chapter. The Community Chest twice cut its
request deeply in 1928 and by 1931 the Chapter was $2,200 in debt
to National Headquarters. The Depression had set in and national
had joined some board members in concern with the Chapter’s lack
of adequate community service. The National Headquarters, in
Washington, reported that the chapter had no by-laws, poor
financial records and indeed a shortage of needed programs. By in
end of 1932, with the hiring of a new executive secretary, Mildred
Brooks, and the election of banker Guyton Abney as treasurer, the
Chapter made up for lost time and its Volunteer Services, first
aid and Junior Red Cross activities were reviewed. The Chapter was
now at City Hall.
A decade and a half after the war’s end, the
caseload of disabled veterans was still heavy and a federal act in
1933 required all claim papers to be refilled, with the Red Cross
having to process them. Some days over 500 men were waiting in
line at the chapter.
Meantime, in 1938 the Chapter assumed Red Cross
coverage in Houston and Twiggs counties. Also in 1938, the menace
of the motor car led the Chapter to establish the first of several
first-aid stations along major roads into Macon. Over the next
several years, the Chapter struggled to stay in with the Community
Chest, but the standard lifesaving, first aid, home nursing, home
services, motor corps and Junior Red Cross services continued
undisturbed.
1940's
With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the
Chapter began receiving donations for European aid. The Chapter
raised one and a half million dollars for war work between
1942-1945. Surgical dressings were once again being produced in
several communities and the Red Cross began recruiting nurses for
military service overseas and at home. The Macon Chapter’s
nursing committee recruited over 200 women and trained 80 as
nurse’s aides to help fill the gap left by the recruits and over
1,000 women were trained in home nursing for the sick.
The Chapter’s first blood committee “Blood
Donor Service” was set up in 1943. A mobile blood unit came from
Atlanta and collected 2,864 pints on its first visit in 1943 and
the quota was oversubscribed on each of its quarterly trips
thereafter.
The Chapter’s headquarters was still located
at City Hall on First Street, in one large, noisy and overcrowded
room, but in 1944 the nomadic phase ended, when the Chapter
purchased, for $20,000, the 28-room Baker House at Vineville and
Holt Avenue on December 7th. And in February of 1945 moved into
its new permanent facility.
During the late 1940’s, the Macon chapter led
the Southeast Region with its water safety course and held its
first course for instructors. By 1951 over 500 people were
certified in water safety. In 1949, the chapter began teaching all
Macon firemen in first aid – a requirement later adopted by the
Macon police and Bibb Sheriff’s departments.
1950's
The 1950’s began with the Chapter’s Gray
Ladies working in the Macon Hospital. In 1953, the Chapter mounted
an around-the-clock effort to bring disaster relief to over 2,000
victims of the Warner Robins tornado. Other disasters included the
tornadoes in Cochran, Dry Branch and Elberta, GA, along with the
apartment fires on College Street and Orange Street downtown.
1960's
In 1961, the Chapter’s first group of 20
volunteers began work in seven hospitals, clinics and social
agencies along with the first class of black Gray Ladies. And in
1964, the Chapter adopted a new national Red Cross program for the
Office of Volunteers.
By 1965 the Macon Chapter employed 12 staff
members and covered Bibb, Houston & Twiggs Counties. And with
the middle 1960’s came the full impact of the Vietnam conflict,
and the chapter’s caseload for Service to Military Families
doubled; processing over 2,000 cases a year through 1971. Disaster
Services continued to update its preparedness status by responding
to local emergencies (fires, floods, etc.). The Office of
Volunteers continued to grow, particularly in the area of Youth
Services. In 1966 the summer Youth Volunteer Program began with
youth, in their blue & white-stripped uniforms. They
volunteered at nursing homes, hospitals, and clinics for at least
two weeks during the summer.
In 1969 Hurricane Camille hit the Gulf Coast and
left over 20,000 families in need of emergency aid. A $15 million
National American Red Cross campaign was started in August.
1970's
In
1970 an earthquake hit Peru and the National Headquarters had
asked the Chapter to prepare 400 "comfort kits." As the
1970’s began, Red Cross chapters, large and small, were having
fund-raising problems due to the economic effects of the
war.
The United Givers Fund also struggled during the
1970’s, particularly in Houston County. Fund raising efforts
fell short numerous times for both the UGF and the chapter. The
funding problem in Houston County continued to worsen along with
the strain of providing services for that county. In June of 1975,
Houston County united and departed from Macon and founded its own
chapter.
Chapter activities continued to grow through the
1970’s. Disaster Services stayed busy because of the record
snowstorm that hit Macon in 1973 and another severe storm in 1974.
A tornado roared through Fort Valley on February 8, 1975 causing
over $7.5 million in damages. In 1975 the Chapter’s Board of
Directors voted to establish a blood program for Bibb County. The
Adaptive Aquatics program began in 1979 with the opening of the
new pool in the back yard. The Chapter taught handicapped swimming
through the 1980’s. During 1998 the pool was filled-in, since
funds were not available to rebuild the now dilapidated pool.
First Aid had been affected by the new federal OSHA regulations
that passed during the mid-70’s creating a demand by local
industries for first aid training. Nursing and health programs
also continued to be a major part of community services during the
1970’s.
1980's
- present
In 1981 was the centennial celebration of the
American Red Cross, at which time the Macon Chapter celebrated not
only the history of Red Cross but also its own 67-year history at
the annual meeting. The Macon Chapter continued to grow and by
1989 the Chapter’s jurisdiction included Bibb, Crawford, Jones,
Monroe, Peach and Twiggs Counties and was renamed the Central
Georgia Chapter.
Both the late 80’s and 1990’s have been
noted as “Disaster Years”.
