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In 1917, concerned community members joined together and opened the
Portland Red Cross. Their mission was to assist their neighbors during
one of the world's greatest disasters: World War I. For almost a
century, the community has relied on the Red Cross during times of both
conflict and peace.
Today, we look back with pride on the legacy
that thousands of dedicated volunteers have built. We truly have a
history of caring.
World War I
When the chapter was granted a charter in 1917,
board members and volunteers faced the monumental task of responding to
war-related needs as well as community concerns.
Throughout the World War I, Red Cross volunteers
made garments, bandages, and surgical dressings. A Red Cross canteen,
at the Portland Union Depot, provided comfort to service personnel
traveling through Portland.
In addition to war efforts, the chapter
organized home hygiene and nursing classes to teach routine illness
treatment and disease prevention.
During the influenza epidemic of 1918, Red Cross
assisted overtaxed health agencies. The chapter recruited nurses and
provided necessary items such as pneumonia jackets and masks. A dental
clinic was opened for public school children and books translated into
Braille for the public library. During the depression, Red Cross
volunteers made and distributed food and clothing to needy families.
World War II
In response to the war in Europe,
Red Cross volunteers stepped up production of surgical dressings and
called upon local residents to support these efforts. The community
responded by volunteering thousands of hours and committing more than $4
million between 1939 and 1945.
During World War II, the chapter recruited
nurses, blood donors, and volunteers. The Union Depot Canteen was again
opened and served thousands of soldiers passing through Portland. Motor Corps drivers traveled hundreds of miles delivering blood and transporting veterans.
In addition to these war-related projects,
dedicated Red Cross volunteers continued to provide vital assistance to
the community. Home nursing programs, assistance to veterans, disaster
relief, and life-saving classes expanded.
In 1948, thousands of residents along the banks of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers
were evacuated due to the Vanport Flood. Red Cross disaster workers
responded, opened shelters, and provided food and clothing. Motor Corps
drivers carried volunteers and supplies to the stricken area.
When President Harry S. Truman made a personal
inspection of the damaged area, he commended local Red Cross workers for
their response and assistance to more than 6,000 families.
The Korean War
In the 1950s, local volunteers again supported
the needs of military families separated by the Korean War. Family
support groups were formed and care packages organized and sent to
lonely soldiers across the ocean. Meanwhile, volunteers continued to
serve veterans in local hospitals and provided home hygiene and safety
training.
The Columbus Day Storm
On Columbus Day, 1962, 80 mph gusts left 27 dead and 100 injured in Oregon and Clark County, Washington. The chapter immediately sent two portable generators to the Physicians and Surgeons Hospital
when they lost power. More than 1,000 families were financially
assisted, or provided with loaned auxiliary power and emergency
transportation.
During the 1960s, Red Cross paid and volunteer
staff collected paperback books, ditty bags, and athletic equipment for
service personnel in Vietnam. The chapter helped local families and taped messages to their loved ones serving overseas.
The 1970's and 1980's
In the early 1970s, a new lifesaving technique
was introduced, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Thousands of
residents signed up to learn.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the chapter
responded to changing family needs by developing parenting and youth
classes. During this time, local immunization programs and blood
pressure clinics were also supported.
In 1978, a United Airline plane crashed in a neighborhood east of Portland's
airport, and Red Cross volunteers were there to provide comfort and
assistance to emergency workers. The chapter dispensed blankets, met
blood needs, and provided an emergency information center for national
health and welfare inquiries.
In 1980, Mother Nature gave a wake up call in the form of the massive eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
Red Cross volunteers provided temporary shelter to displaced residents,
distributed masks, and provided the information link for concerned
family members around the world. Red Cross services continued for more
than a year after the eruption.
In 1986, when students from a local school were stranded on Mt. Hood
during a devastating blizzard, Red Cross volunteers provided canteen
services to rescue workers and comforted families waiting for word of
their children.
The 1990's and Today
During the 1990s, Red Cross volunteers continued
to meet the challenges of an expanding and changing population.
Materials were translated into other languages and Oregon Trail Chapter
spearheaded the effort to use Internet technology to provide virtual
safety training.
In 1996, when flooding displaced hundreds of people, the Chapter headquarters building on North Vancouver
was transformed into a disaster operations center complete with
sandbags, phone banks and mobile feeding stations. Instead of volunteers
from Oregon traveling to
assist those in need in other parts of the country, Red Cross volunteers
from other parts of the country came to help us.
The new century was ushered in with a familiar
disaster as a fatal apartment fire left 40 people homeless one week
before Christmas. The Chapter opened a shelter in a nearby high school
and worked to ensure that each family was provided for.
September 11, 2001
was a bleak day for the world, and for the American Red Cross, the
beginning of months of intense work. As blood donors waited for hours to
donate blood in the headquarters building, volunteers from throughout
the state prepared to fly east to offer support to victims and relief
workers. Oregon sent more Red Cross volunteers per capita in response to the attacks of 9/11 than any other state in the nation.
In the spirit of Oregon ingenuity, the Oregon Trail Chapter developed the "Prepare Oregon"
campaign in response to the community asking, "What can I do now?" By
encouraging Oregonians to do four simple things: build a disaster
supplies kit, make a family emergency plan, get trained in first aid and
CPR and schedule regular blood donations, the Chapter helped our state
become a model of preparedness. In 2003, the American Red Cross adopted
our local campaign and launched, "Together We Prepare" throughout the
country.
What's Ahead
For more than 90 years, thousands of Oregon
Trail Chapter volunteers have provided disaster relief, blood and blood
products, health education and services to military families in
Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Multnomah, Tillamook, Washington
and Yamhill counties. We count on the generosity of our donors and the
commitment of our volunteers to ensure our history continues well into
the future. Clara Barton once said, "It is not in its past that the
glories of the Red Cross lie, but in the possibilities it has created
for the future."
Visit the Museum
The American Red Cross is fortunate to have an extensive online museum, where visitors can learn more about the organization's history and that of its founders, including Clara Barton.
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