A Century of Helping Hands
Date and Time
Saturday Feb 4, 2017 Saturday Jun 24, 2017
Thursday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location
232 N. Trade Street,
Fees/Admission
Adults: $4 10 to 17: $2 Under 10 Free Free first Saturday of the month
Contact Information
704-708-4996
Send Email
Description
The Matthews Heritage Museum and the Western North Carolina Region of the American Red Cross are joining together to put on the exhibit “A Century of Helping Hands” in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the American Red Cross in Mecklenburg County. The exhibit opens February 4 and will run to June 24, 2017. Many Red Cross chapters were founded in the US in 1917 as part of the effort to serve soldiers in World War I. The US entered the war several years after the war in Europe started. The number of local chapters jumped from 107 in 1914 to 3,864 in 1918! Woman gathered to roll bandages often serving through their church, and locally the Red Cross served the soldiers at Camp Greene in Charlotte. They were called upon to find housing for visiting girl friends, when hotels were not available or too costly. They also provided several nurses for Camp Greene. The Matthews Chapter was established in 1937. Canteen funds were given to help veterans. During WWII our Mecklenburg Chapter was called upon to assist with Pearl Harbor and by January 1942, $94,000 was raised. The Blood Donor Program began in 1947. Four years later the American Red Cross provided Gamma Globulin to “Help Fight Polio”. In 1954, disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Hazel helped 1500 families. Recently, the Charlotte Chapter operated a 16-day shelter for Hurricane Katrina evacuees.