About Us

American Red Cross
Coastal Bend-Texas Chapter
 

Chartered on September 16, 1916, the local Red Cross chapter is celebrating its 95th year of providing services to residents of the Coastal Bend. The chapter currently assists over 50 communities in 13 counties throughout the Coastal Bend (Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, McMullen).

Core services are disaster relief and preparedness, Community Training and Safety, and military communications.

The chapter is headquartered in Corpus Christi and has a regional office in Aransas Pass. Services are provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The chapter is a Community Chapter that works together with other chapters along the coast, Rio Colorado, Crossroads, South Texas, Greater Area Houston, Beaumont & Orange Chapters, to form the Texas Gulf Coast Region. Locally we are governed by a 33-member board of directors responsible for setting priorities, raising money and providing sound financial management. The current Board Chair is Marc Hinojosa. Debra Luera serves as the Executive Director. The chapters major fundraising events are the Red Cross Bash (March), Annual Meeting (June), and Penny Power Challenge (October, February).
 

The Chapter's workforce is about 400 people- 98% of whom are volunteers and 13 Paid staff, who assist over 500 people every year in single-family disasters, usually a fire. On average, we respond to a residential fire every 72 hours. For those affected we provide emergency shelter, food, clothing, and other emergency needs.

We train over 15,000 people every year in lifesaving skills. The chapter assists over 1,300 local military families with emergency communication. In addition the chapter also provides disaster preparedness materials to over 35,000 people annually.

October 2005 - the chapter was honored by the Westside Business Association as the Nonprofit Organization of the Year. March 2006 - the chapter was recognized by the national Red Cross with a Star Award for its performance. 2007 - the chapter received a $198,500 grant from the Charity League to purchase an Emergency Response Vehicle, a car, a carport, furniture and building repairs. 2008 - the chapter was honored by National Headquarters as a Top Performing Chapter. 2009 - the chapter received a $50,100 Readiness grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation which provided our region with 10 VISTA volunteers and also 2 disaster trailers stocked with cots and blankets.