Red Cross opens new Dublin location with goal of expanding disaster relief, veteran support

The American Red Cross of Georgia has opened a new location in Dublin with the goal of better serve veterans and the community with disaster relief and armed forces support.

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The American Red Cross of Georgia has opened a new location in Dublin with the goal of better serve veterans and the community with disaster relief and armed forces support.

The new location is across from the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center at 1825 Veterans Blvd.

Jackie Shoemaker, executive director of the South-Central Red Cross, says she wants the community to know the Red Cross is there for them.

“We respond to all types of disasters, and we want them to know that we’re there to prepare them ahead of disasters,” she said. “To teach them and their kids how to get ready and prepare ahead of the disaster.”

Shoemaker says the Red Cross was created to assist those in need who have given so much for this country.

“We do disaster services,” she said. “Primarily, home fires are the major disaster we respond to most frequently out of this office. And in those cases, we’re offering a lot of services to the residents in terms of comfort kits, blankets and monetary assistance to help them get into a hotel and bring some hope to them.”

Regional Program Manager for Service to the Armed Forces, Michele Walton, says the clinic helps veterans, whether active or retired.

“We encompass active-duty military, retirees, and veterans,” she said. “We offer services no matter where they are in their area of life. In some instances, we facilitate financial assistance if need be if they’re retired or active duty because we partner with Army Emergency Relief, and every branch of service has its own agency that we partner with.”

Walton says the new clinic is in a much better location and will help serve more vets.

“It’s definitely a more centrally located facility, as opposed to the one we were in for several years—it was very remote,” she said. “So, I’m hoping this one will foster more foot traffic. And again, just being directly across the street from the VA Medical Center is going to be fantastic for us.”