Engaging with our Local Communities

September 29, 2025

Bhutanese Festival

Red Cross volunteers and staff from our East Central Ohio Chapter joined tens-of-thousands of Bhutanese Americans in July for the Global Bhutanese Hindu Organization’s Hindu Festival in Galion, Ohio. It was a first-of-its-kind event for the large Bhutanese resettlement in Central Ohio.

“It was an amazing opportunity for us to learn more about this beautiful culture, while providing education and information to festivalgoers about Red Cross services,” said Rod Cook, Executive Director of the East Central Ohio Chapter. “Through this unique opportunity, we were able to show our support for this growing population here in Ohio,” Cook said.

Red Crossers staffed an informational tent for the seven day festival providing information about our Home Fire Safety Campaign, hands-only-CPR, volunteer opportunities, and Service to Armed Forces programs, including Restoring Family Links.

Red Cross volunteer and festival organizer at festival with multiple indian people in ethnic wear.

Red Cross Volunteer Kim Moldovan and Festival organizer Kumari Regmi

In addition to the information tent, we held a blood drive as part of the event, and we installed FREE smoke alarms on the campus where the Bhutanese Festival was held and where many slept in various buildings on the premises. “This community has a very strong affinity for the Red Cross mission due to their history, and we welcome this growing partnership with them,” Cook said.

PRIDE Events

Red Cross volunteers participated in many PRIDE parades and events throughout the region this year including in Dayton, Columbus, Milford, and Newark, Ohio. Whether it’s marching in the Stonewall parade in Columbus or taking part in Dayton’s Pride Rocks! --an LGBTQ+ suicide prevention program, we use these opportunities to support these communities and share that our mission is open and welcoming to all.

Red Cross van driving on the street in a pride event.

WWII Commemoration in Cincinnati

Two Red Cross volunteers sitting at a WWII commemoration booth at an event.

Sid Taylor and Dannyn Qualls-Gibeau

We commemorated the 80^th anniversary of the conclusion of WWII by participating in the Cincinnati Museum Center’s 1940’s Days.

It provided us with a wonderful engagement opportunity to speak with history buffs, veterans, their families, active-duty service members and interested museumgoers. We shared the role the Cincinnati Chapter played during the War and provided information about the work the Red Cross still does today to support our military.

Latino/Hispanic Community Engagement

Group of Red Cross volunteers holding a large banner with American Red Cross logos while standing next to a Red Cross vehicle.

Columbus Hispanic Heritage Month Parade

At the Red Cross, we’re dedicated to ensuring that our services and outreach efforts are culturally sensitive and accessible to all. We work to advance our mission to our diverse communities by increasing access, representation and culturally responsive service delivery.

As such, we work to immerse ourselves in our Hispanic communities through our outreach efforts. Our Central Ohio Latino Engagement Team supports English as a Second Language classes in Columbus as well as the Latino Health Fair in Marion, Ohio and back-to-school events at the Bi-Lingual Academy North in Columbus.

We celebrated these important cultures by participating the Hispanic Festivals in Dayton and marching in the Heritage Month Parade in Columbus among many other activities in our region.

Columbus City Schools Partnership

We’re incredibly proud of the partnership we’ve built with the Columbus City Schools. This August, we participated in their 4th Annual Back-to-School Resource Fair, sharing home fire safety tips and resources. This event was founded and launched in 2022 by our Red Cross Greater Columbus Chapter as part of our Resilient Community Project.

“When we launched the Back-to-School Resource Fair, we set out bring nonprofits together, not just to serve, but to unite,” said Karen Washbush, Executive Director of the Central Ohio Chapter. “Today, with more than 16,000 attendees, nearly 200 volunteers, and more than 130 community partners, this event stands as a powerful symbol of what’s possible when we work across sectors for the common good. It’s a celebration of every neighborhood, every family, and every organization that makes our community stronger.”

Six Red Cross volunteers take a group photo next to a table on the lawn of a columbus city school.

Our efforts to be a part of the many different neighborhoods in the 47 counties we serve helps support community resilience and expand Red Cross capacity to engage with these communities as partners.