About LaGrange Branch

Growth is taking place at the American Red Cross in LaGrange County. When the chapter closed several years ago, LaGrange County was considered a gap area and became under the umbrella of the Elkhart County Chapter. At that time, the Elkhart Chapter was not in a position to do much more than make sure the required services were provided.

About a year ago, the Elkhart County Chapter board decided that the people of LaGrange should have the same services that are provided in Elkhart County.  However, the rebirth had to be led by LaGrange individuals.  Cathy Miller, a member of the Elkhart County Board, developed a plan that provided incremental steps to re-establish a Red Cross presence in LaGrange County.  With financial support from Elkhart, the process began.

The first step was to establish an advisory council that represents all corners of LaGrange County. This council planned a volunteer recruitment event resulting in about 25 new volunteers. Many of the new volunteers are already taking disaster training to be able to respond to a disaster. The council is also raising the community’s awareness of Red Cross by participating in various events and health fairs. Look for our booth and stop and say hi!

The office for the LaGrange branch of the Red Cross is in the Community Foundation building. The work is being lead by Jo Schrader, program coordinator for LaGrange Red Cross. Jo has been working since March and is excited about bringing services to LaGrange County. She will welcome your time, talents and financial support as the LaGrange Office continues to expand and grow.