Jane Simpson, chair of the board of the American Red CrossJASPER, Tenn. — Sometimes those who help others need a little help themselves.
The Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen recently voted unanimously to donate $500 to the American Red Cross of the Greater Chattanooga Area, which encompasses Marion County.
Mayor Billy Simpson said recent disasters around the area have taken their toll on the group’s finances.
“They’re in dire need for money right now due to all of the storms and tragedies [of the past year],” he said. “I’m not involved in it, but I see what they do, and it’s amazing.”
Simpson’s wife, Jane, has been a Red Cross volunteer for seven years and has been chairwoman of the board of directors for the past two years.
“I try not to take advantage of that,” she told the Jasper board Monday. “The Red Cross is like everybody else, especially with the tornadoes this year. We’re not in a really good financial state. We would be grateful for anything.”
The Marion County office of the Red Cross has eight volunteers who give “immediate relief” in the form of money for food, clothes or shelter after a tragedy, Jane Simpson said.
“I have to say that our county goes beyond the call of duty,” she said. “We’ve got some very good volunteers.”
The mayor said the volunteers in Marion County, including his wife, go out “at all hours of the night to meet people” who need direct assistance.
“Seeing what they do firsthand, I just never realized all the things that [the Red Cross volunteers] do,” he said. “It’s unbelievable what they do, and now they need everyone’s help, too.”
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.