The Red Cross Community Adaptation Program (CAP) in Sarasota has provided a custom mobile medical vehicle to local partner On The Spot Aid, Inc., by refurbishing a retired Emergency Response Vehicle. Click the photo to watch the video about this immersive collaboration.
In Sarasota County, Florida, a quiet but powerful partnership is helping expand the reach of the Red Cross in disaster-prone, underserved communities. Our Community Adaptation Program (CAP) has teamed up with On the Spot Aid, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing mobile medical services, supplies and education to unhoused individuals.
In 2024, our Sarasota-based CAP team identified On The Spot Aid as a candidate to receive a retired legacy Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle. These vehicles have served communities for many years, and through this refurbishment process, they will remain functional and reliable for continued community service through our local partners.
For On The Spot Aid, this vehicle will be instrumental to their day-to-day operations, expanding their capacity to reach more people and provide a higher level of service.
“We are better prepared; we can be much more compact and efficient when we respond to any of the neighborhoods in need,” said Norma Campbell, Executive Director of On The Spot Aid.
The vehicle also allows them to be more visible -- showing up consistently for people in crisis which builds trust in advance of future disasters.
“Sometimes the most important thing you can offer someone is your time and presence,” said Melissa Ehrhardt, the CAP Community Disaster Risk Reduction Coordinator.
This local collaboration is a powerful example of how the Red Cross is working with grassroots partners to strengthen community resilience. By partnering with trusted local organizations, the Red Cross is reaching deeper into neighborhoods, ensuring that help isn’t just available -- it’s accessible.
By supporting projects like this now, we can create a stronger network that will be there when the worst happens. Partnerships like this remind us that compassion is a force multiplier -- and that even the smallest acts of kindness can create lasting change.
Watch this VIDEO to learn more about CAP and our work to meet emerging needs driven by more frequent and intense extreme weather.
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