T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley Executive Director Sharon Kesselring informs the Belmont County Board of Commissioners about how the Red Cross has continued to help the Belmont County community.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Board of Commissioners made a proclamation to name March American Red Cross Month.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved, the board of Belmont County Commissioners does hereby proclaim the month of March 2025 as American Red Cross Month throughout the county of Belmont, and urge all citizens to join in supporting the American Red Cross in Belmont County,” the proclamation states.

The American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley Executive Director Sharon Kesselring was on hand to provide information about the importance of the organization’s work. Kesselring told the commissioners that her chapter covers 19 counties — 15 in West Virginia and four in Ohio.

“In the calendar year 2024, we had 14 responses. Almost every single one of those was a house fire, unfortunately, where people had major or destroyed damage. And we also serviced 37 people in those 14 responses. So we serviced a lot of people.

“We had 43 service to armed forces cases that we processed. I believe the majority of those were for active military. We act as the emergency communication system between those serving the armed forces and their family members back home, no matter where they’re serving in the world,” she said. “We had 617 training services, which means that people got certified in CPR and first aid.”

She added that her chapter collected 780 units of blood last year. She commended residents who are willing and able to donate blood.

Throughout 2024, the American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley installed 243 smoke alarms into Belmont County residents’ homes free of charge and provided home safety education to residents.

American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley Disaster Program Specialist Seth Kenefick said that the Cumberland Trail Fire District and the Belmont Volunteer Fire Department were crucial in helping the Red Cross install the free smoke alarms within the county.

Kenefick said both Cumberland Trail Fire District and Belmont VFD were able to expand his reach deeper into the community to inform residents that the initiative was occurring and was free of charge.

Commissioner J.P. Dutton added that the Belmont County CARES Program that is run through the Cumberland Trail Fire District is a great resource to have and said a representative recently attended a commission meeting to inform the commissioners that in cooperation with the Red Cross, it installed 120 smoke alarms.

Kesselring added that she had 11 volunteers in Belmont County, which she believes is a good number of volunteers that allows the organization to cover the county well.

She then asked the commissioners if they had any questions they would like to ask her or her team.

Dutton thanked them for the exceptional work he believes they do and said that not only he, but all three members of the board, applaud the Red Cross for its contributions to the community.

“I know that being in this position now, sometimes you learn a little bit more that maybe you didn’t know as an average citizen, you get more involved in your local government, and you start to realize just how much an organization like yours really means to local communities,” Dutton said. “We work with our Emergency Management Agency and with our fire departments. It takes all that coordinated effort sometimes to make sure that you’re making the impact that you need to.”