More than a century after members of the John Deere family helped lead and champion creation of the Moline Red Cross chapter, the company that bears his name is continuing that legacy with a $250,000 commitment to the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program.
The Moline-based manufacturer’s financial commitment, announced in a news release today, May 14, will support disaster preparedness and relief efforts in U.S. communities where John Deere employees live and work.
According to the company, Deere family members helped form the Moline Red Cross chapter in 1917 during the Spanish Influenza epidemic. What began as a local crisis response has blossomed into a lasting commitment by the Quad Cities’ largest employer.
William Butterworth, the son-in-law of the company’s founder, served as the Red Cross chapter chairman beginning in 1919. Mr. Butterworth later became Deere’s president and chairman.
The latest financial commitment will support the national organization’s Disaster Responder Program, which ensures families and communities have access to shelter, meals, emotional support and other critical services when disasters strike.
“I think about our employees and neighbors in the Quad Cities, in Waterloo, and in communities across the country. When disaster hits close to home, you want to know help is already on its way,” Taryn Edgin, director of Global Corporate Responsibility and the John Deere Foundation president, said in the Thursday news release. “That’s what this partnership makes possible. By investing before disasters happen, we help the Red Cross respond fast, whether it’s a tornado or a house fire down the street.”
Nationally, the Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters both big and small each year, with demand continuing to grow as severe weather events increase in frequency and intensity.
Disaster readiness
Thanks to contributions made in advance of disasters, Disaster Responder members help the Red Cross mobilize volunteers, technology and other resources quickly.
The disaster assistance organization, which continues to operate locally as the American Red Cross of the Quad Cities and Northwest Illinois, said donors such as John Deere are critical in ensuring the Red Cross can help those in need without delay whether they are responding to a large-scale disaster or supporting a single family after a home fire.
“We are grateful for partners like John Deere whose long-standing commitment helps power our preparedness and response efforts,” Anne McKeough, chief development officer of the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., added in the release. “Support from Disaster Responder members ensures we can provide help and hope to families facing some of their most difficult moments.”
The Quad Cities chapter, headquartered at 1111 River Drive, Moline, on the John Deere Commons, serves 1.23 million people in 20 counties. Its service area includes the Illinois counties of Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Lee, Mercer, Ogle, Putnam, Rock Island, Stephenson, Warren, Whiteside, and Winnebago. In Iowa, the chapter services Lee, Muscatine, Scott, and Van Buren counties.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The nonprofit organization depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow it on social media.
