During the past program year, the Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross proved once again that when people need help, Help Can't Wait. With such events as the Red & White Ball, the car raffle, the children's carnival, and the generosity of many businesses, organizations and individuals, widespread support ensured a very successful year for the Chapter and therefore for the community we serve.

Disaster Services: Providing assistance during large-scale and single family disasters, 24 hours a day year-round, volunteers responded to 17 emergencies, assisting 65 individuals, and worked with 60 individuals during emergency responder debriefings. Over 100 people participated in disaster planning, preparedness and education activities. 5 chapter volunteers active in the National Red Cross disaster response program assisted in the aftermath of the TWA airline disaster and during flooding in West Virginia, California, Minnesota and North Dakota.

First Aid Standbys: Staffing 28 community events involving 45,500 individuals, first aid volunteers provided assistance to 60 individuals.

Services to Members of the Military, Veterans, and Their Families: Casework volunteers, ensuring that help is available 24 hours a day, assisted 31 families with emergency communications, information and referral, and access to emergency loans. 150 veterans participated in chapter-sponsored social activities.

General Emergency Assistance: 180 people received food assistance through the Thanksgiving baskets program and 18 families received emergency help with special or unusual needs.

International Social Services: Providing tracing services for those separated from family members during wars and other calamities, including special archival Holocaust tracing, and education on humanitarian law. Last year 169 people participated in education classes, 75 Friendship Boxes were sent by Greenwich children to children in other countries, and 10 individuals were assisted through a partnership program with a Swedish clinic for survivors of torture.

Language Bank: Volunteer linguists available 24 hours a day representing 40 languages, provided translation and interpretive services 125 times.

Loan Closet: 124 individuals received free loans of such medical equipment as wheelchairs, commodes, shower chairs and canes.

Health and Safety: Over 2,750 people participated in such training programs as First Aid, CPR, Connecticut Child Care, HIV/AIDS, Preventing Disease Transmission, Lifeguarding, Swimming and Aquatic Safety. Another 1,700 were served through educational materials and presentations.

Support for Blood Services: Working with the American Red Cross Connecticut Blood Services Regional Office, the chapter plans blood drives to help meet the need for blood for patients in the community. Last year 2,509 lifesaving units of blood were given at 46 drives sponsored by local businesses, community centers, churches and synagogues. Volunteer drivers on-call 24 hours a day throughout the year made 19 emergency blood deliveries to Greenwich Hospital.

Motor Service: Volunteer drivers provided over 10,200 rides to Greenwich residents needing access to medical or dental appointments.

SafeRides: A youth development program designed to help combat substance abuse in the community, over 150 well-trained teens volunteered their time on Friday and Saturday evenings to provide 1,196 safe rides home to their peers.

In all, with the support of an generous community, last year 572 volunteers helped over 8,000 Greenwich residents, logging over 84,600 hours of service.