This year, the local chapter of the American Red Cross is celebrating its 100th year in Butler County.

The local chapter of the American Red Cross is celebrating its 100th year serving the area's residents.

“The Red Cross was started in 1887, and in 1917 the chapters were formed,” said Dan Tobin, director of marketing and communications at the American Red Cross Western Pennsylvania Region. “Throughout the region, any event this year will have a centennial theme.”

The American Red Cross was founded in 1887 by Clara Barton, who treated the sick and wounded during the Civil War.

She came to Butler in 1903 when a typhoid fever epidemic swept through the area, Tobin said.

After the local chapter started in 1917, local members went to work growing their medical supplies and giving aid to the community.

“Butler County helped during the influenza epidemic in 1918. They produced 12,000 socks and 100 pneumonia jackets,” said Mary Rogers, executive director of the American Red Cross of West Central Pennsylvania. “From 1917 to 1919, they produced: 495,885 surgical dressings, 35,685 hospital garments, 7,008 muslin bandages, 9,579 refugee garments, 1,666 utility bags, 1,000 comfort kits, 12,733 knitted articles, 300 Christmas parcels in 1917 and 1,313 Christmas boxes in 1918.”

In its 100 years, Red Cross chapters have made the American Red Cross the massive international organization it is today, with resources and initiatives all around the world, she said.

“We're evolving, but we've never changed from the mission.” Tobin said.

In recent years, he said, the local chapter has consolidated its resources, getting rid of excess space and focusing on efficiency and agility.

“We've become leaner and meaner over the years,” he said. “We had all this space that was wasted.”

At its current location, the local Red Cross chapter has an office space and a trailer with enough supplies to house hundreds if needed.

“We're the disaster response both locally and across the nation and internationally,” Tobin said. “We help soldiers and veterans, and we help reconnecting families separated by conflict or crisis.

“People forget we help soldiers and veterans, but that's where the Red Cross started.”

Most of its local work deals with helping families who have been displaced or harmed by a disaster.

“The bulk of what we do is home fires,” he said. “We're just getting out of fire season.”

Tobin said the Red Cross is always looking for more people to join.

“We always need volunteers,” Tobin said. “Not just in the field. If you have a skill, we can put it to use.”