Red Cross may leave Huntingburg due to restructuring; Service Center Manager Tina Dearing resigning over decision to downgrade services

The week of July 18, Tina Dearing was notified by Matt Bertram, Regional Director of the Red Cross, that the building on Main Street in Huntingburg was being vacated and she would be moved to an office located at Old National Bank in Jasper. This move was in conjunction with the national office shutting down Red Cross offices throughout the nation.

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After her initial shock, Dearing scrambled to save the location. Even though multiple conference calls with Bertram and the Red Cross were conducted, no agreement was able to be reached. Dearing, facing pressure and feeling that she would not be able to adequately serve the area in an office in Jasper, struggled with a decision. After a week of contemplation she decided to resign from her position rather than run what she felt would be an inadequate office.

“During the tornado in May we had this building open as a storm shelter.” Dearing explained. “Not only that but we store all our emergency response gear here and all the volunteers know this is where we meet when there is an emergency.”

Dearing credits the central location with her quick responses to area emergencies. When a tornado struck Celestine this spring, Dearing and local Red Cross volunteers were on the scene within 30 minutes. “After we arrived to provide a feeding operation we found that the clean up effort needed gloves. We went to the the Tri-Star Glove Company in Plainville, Indiana and they donated the gloves to help with the cleanup.” Dearing said.

During the May tornado in Huntingburg, between meetings with insurance adjustors for her own house’s damage, she managed to set up a food line at St. Mary’s Church and then organized food deliveries to the local city workers and the many volunteers cleaning up the debris and cutting trees out of the streets.

But Dearing has always been dedicated to her job. She started in the organization in 1994 as a volunteer and worked in the community for eight years. Through that time she gained their support and trust and then a series of house fires prompted the county to embrace the Red Cross.

The Red Cross Service Center was established in Huntingburg when the American Legion allowed her to move into the building they own on Main Street. Since that time she has worked with the military fielding emergency calls for family members abroad, assisted in the two recent deployments, maintained a service center providing classes and training necessary for many businesses in the county, and organized responses to any emergency that occurred within four counties.

I’m not surprised by the restructuring, but I am worried about the house fire that happens at 2 a.m. leaving a family with no place to go.” She said. “What will happen to them? What will happen when another tornado strikes? The Evansville office will be responsible for the response and they will contact the volunteers here.”

Dearing doesn’t know the plan the Southwest Indiana Chapter out of Evansville has for the new office. “They don’t know what to do.” She said.

Additionally, the Evansville office has not issued a press release concerning the restructuring but according to Media Contact Greg Waite, they expect to have one available today or on Thursday of this week. In a phone interview Waite stated he couldn’t make any comments about the restructuring but he did state an office would still be located in Dubois County.

The restructuring is necessary for the Red Cross as tough economic times have cut into their budget. Tough decisions have been made and dozens of people are being let go. Some offices will be closed and offices that stay open will probably be staffed with volunteers.

Locally it appears that Dubois County is losing an asset and Huntingburg is gaining another vacant building.