Our Columbus Blood lab underwent a major renovation and upgrade during 2024. The changes were necessary to improve the workspace for our lab employees to conduct critical work. The rebuild created flexibility in the space that allows for future upgrades.

Throughout another successful year collecting blood we’ve heard many stories about the people who received donated blood products, including London Hamilton, a young girl that needed over 60 transfusions during her cancer battle.

Our local volunteers were part of the massive relief operation launched in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Nearly 100 disaster workers from the Central & Southern Ohio region selflessly responded to this unprecedented disaster.

In the aftermath of strong tornadoes ripping through the region the Red Cross opened shelters in the impacted counties, helped over 650 people through disaster casework and assisted 70 homes in beginning their road to recovery.

Whether it’s an apartment fire in Newark, OH, or a house fire affecting a single person in Dayton, our dedicated volunteers provided shelter, food relief supplies, case work and comfort to those who experienced fires and other local disasters in 2024.

Working with fire departments, community and corporate partners, our volunteers installed thousands of free smoke alarm; provided home fire safety information; and crafted fire escape plans in thousands of homes throughout our region.

The Lewis family went to sleep one night not expecting a fire to break out in their home, but one did. Fortunately, the smoke alarms installed by the Red Cross woke them in time to get out safely. In the last year, 71 lives have been saved by smoke alarms we installed.

In 2024 the SAF team excelled in everyday work to assist veterans and their families while helping get the remains of a local Airman back to Ohio after a training accident in Japan and providing over $45,000 of items for VA’s throughout the region.

Last year, more than 4.8 million people enrolled in Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED courses—more than 50,000 of those people took classes here in the Central & Southern Ohio region. To sign up for classes go to www.redcross.org/class.

We opened new opportunity for our friends in Lancaster to make blood & platelet donations with the opening of a new Donation Center at 2405 N. Columbus St. It's located in the Riverview Medical Offices Building is open four days a week.

Regional volunteer applications grew by 24% in 2024 as the Central & Southern Ohio communities answered the call for volunteers to help out locally and beyond our regional borders. Read some of their stories below.

Whether it’s an Ohio State Football game, with over 100,000 people or an event with just a few hundred spectators, our First Aid Services Team (FAST) provided direct patient care and support to thousands of people at more than 225 events in Central Ohio.