It’s a busy time of the year for the Red Cross, especially with March named American Red Cross Month.

“For us, it’s a big period of preparation,” said Elaine Hansen, Mower County Red Cross executive director.

The Mower County chapter, which has been around since 1917, has revamped some of its services and is always adding new ones. And with the abundance of fires and floods in the last few years, the Red Cross is planning ahead.

“It’s looking like it could be a rough year,” Hansen added.

One thing unique to Mower’s Red Cross is the personal care shelf, coordinated by Brigitte Campbell. The program has taken hold since its introduction about 15 years ago, and with good reason.

Because most people who experience disasters need more than a few days of assistance, Campbell facilitates that. Instead of providing immediate services to grief stricken citizens, Campbell sits down with them and lays out a plan.

People can get items from the personal care shelf, such as shampoo, soap and other households; but they can get lined up with other agencies in Mower County, such as the United Way and Salvation Army.

To respond to disasters, Red Cross now has six teams that comprise 85 disaster-relief members throughout Mower County. The members are trained how to handle disasters, and some are medical professionals.

“Our chapter is in that position because of our volunteer leadership,” Hansen said.

In effort to inform the community, the Red Cross is holding CPR classes for both beginners and professionals throughout the year. At the end of March, the Red Cross will also be spreading the newest information in updates to CPR and Automatic External Defibrillation.

Daryl Saurer, health and safety coordinator at Mower Red Cross, said a lot of this year’s campaign aims to get people involved in any way possible. He said a lot of people will stand idle during an emergency, but new studies show just doing something can help. That’s why a lot of word has been spreading about hands-only CPR, which can be performed on adults.

According to Saurer, people who have a little confidence in emergency situations can do a lot compared to people who don’t.

One thing that caught his and others’ attention was a baby who choked on a grape and died while adults were present. Saurer now wants more daycare facilities and babysitters to be CPR certified.

“For $60, they can’t afford not to have it (training),” he said.

That’s why the Red Cross is now holding classes about babysitting/daycare and emergency decisions.

However, the year is early, and the Red Cross has other focuses, too. One program Hansen is excited about is the heroes campaign, which will focus on getting locals informed about emergencies. Another includes the Yellow Ribbon campaign, which helps veterans transition back into their everyday lives.

“We’re excited about the changes and the new generation of health and safety,” Hansen said.

She added the preparation is never done because disasters strike at any time. The Red Cross continuously coordinates efforts with other relief groups, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Mower County Red Cross consists of 350 total volunteers who do anything from answering phones to hands-on emergency work. Volunteers range from high-schoolers to seniors, and the organization is always looking for more, Hansen said.

“If it fits in your schedule, great,” she said. “The door’s always open.”