The Putnam County Red Cross Unit held a meeting for its volunteers to meet the new Executive Director Carol Stevens and Community Development Director Christine Klinger. Over 20 volunteers attended the event where Klinger decorated with memorabilia and newspaper clippings depicting the unit's work over 20 years. Unit Chairperson Ginger Scott noted that the organization has grown from 4-5 board members to 15 leadership council members now. The meeting helped volunteers become acquainted with Klinger, who took office in June, and to network with each other as the unit prepares community outreach programs and plans to participate in a mock disaster drill with Greencastle schools in April 2007.

1. Local Red Cross unit offers up ideas for its volunteers
Friday, November 17, 2006
By JASON MOON, Assistant Editor
More than 20 Red Cross volunteersgatheredat the Putnam County Courthouse Annex Thursday
evening for a meet-and-greet session with each other.
The Putnam County Red Cross Unit, a divisionof the AmericanRed Cross of Wabash Valley,
conductedthe meeting with the hope of getting to know each other a little better and to meet
Executive Director CarolStevens.
Stevenswas unable to attend Thursday'smeeting. However, Putnam County Red CrossUnit
community Development Director Christine Klinger was on hand Thursday.
"Thisis a forum for us to introduce our volunteersto our new executive director," Klinger said. "This
is a good opportunity for them to connect."
Klinger decoratedthe roomadjacent to the Red Cross office with old newspaper clippings depicting
what the localunit has been involvedinover the course of nearly 20 years. In addition, she had
memorabilia set up and refreshmentswere served.
Unit Chairperson and Leadership Council member Ginger Scott said the local unit has grown
significantly over the course of the past 20 years.
"When we started, I'd say we had four to five on the board," she said. "But over the years, we've
grown. Now we have 15 members on the leadership council."
Scott added the forum was helpful for all the local volunteers.
"Thisis for the volunteersthat we presently have to meet (Klinger)," she said, "and to get together.
We try to have something similar to it each year."
Klinger took office in June. The local unit meshed with other units in Clay, Greene, Parke, Sullivan,
Vermillion and Vigo countiesin July to form the AmericanRed Cross Wabash Valley Chapter.
Klinger said the localunit has nearly 70 volunteerscurrently andis preparing itself for the new year.
"We're going to be doing more community outreachprograms with the schools(regarding) disaster
preparedness," Klinger said.
Klinger said the localunit will be involvedin a proposedmock disaster drill set for 2007 for the
Greencastle Community SchoolCorp.
Officials have not set a date for the drill, but it is tentatively set for April and will involve several
agencies.