Office at 344 W. Genesee Street officially opens June 3
(Syracuse, NY – May 24, 2013) The Central New York Chapter of the American Red Cross is moving Wednesday, May 29, from its current office at 220 Herald Place, Syracuse, to its new office at 344 W. Genesee St., Syracuse. The new office will officially open Monday, June 3.
The new office in downtown Syracuse will provide a convenient, familiar and easily accessible location for Red Cross volunteers, staff and Central New York residents who require Red Cross services or take healthy and safety classes.
“By remaining downtown, the Red Cross will remain close to its most-utilized partners, such as the Onondaga County Department of Emergency Management and the county Department of Social Services,” said Rosie Taravella, Chief Operating Officer of the American Red Cross Central New York Region and head of the Central New York Chapter. “And it’s important for us to remain downtown because we respond to house fires and the majority of fires in our chapter area are in the city.”
While the amount of space is the same at both locations (12,000 square feet), the new office is more functional because there’s more room for meetings and health and safety classes. There’s also more space for the volunteers who respond to house fires and other disasters, train for disasters, hold meetings, and work with clients who need assistance after a disaster.
The new location is handicapped accessible, and will provide an ample amount of parking for volunteers, staff and clients. There’s also more parking space for Red Cross rescue vehicles, making them easier to stock with disaster relief supplies and retrieve when there’s disaster.
Individuals or businesses who wish to assist the American Red Cross of Central New York can make contributions to the new facility. In recognition for this support, naming opportunities in the new space are available. Anyone interested in a naming opportunity should contact Judy Pollman, Chief Development Officer of the Central New York Region, at 315-234-2216 or judy.pollman@redcross.org.
“By displaying your name or the name of your business in our office, you will be associated with the Red Cross mission of helping others in need,” Pollman said. “Your donation will go to our Disaster Relief Fund, which is used for all disasters from house fires in Syracuse to the tornadoes in Oklahoma.”
The decision to lease the space at 344 W. Genesee St. was made after an exhaustive 18-month search that included a thorough investigation of several sites by Red Cross officials and Central New York Chapter Board members. The new location best fits the Red Cross’ geographic, space, parking and budget requirements.
The Red Cross did not consider building a new office because it wanted to utilize one of the prominent buildings that already existed in Syracuse.
The new office will also be the hub of the American Red Cross Central New York Region, which covers 16 counties. The new office will provide more space for regional meetings, and new space for teleconferencing with regional members to save time and money on travel.
The Central New York Chapter will officially introduce its new location with an Open House this summer. All Red Cross services will be available at the new location starting Monday, June 3.
For more information, visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.