American Red Cross celebrates new office with ribbon cutting ceremony

Moving just down the street from their old facility, the new building will allow for more resources - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - One of the country’s biggest disaster relief organizations just got a brand new facility in Yuma. Earlier Friday morning, the American Red Cross celebrated the grand opening of it’s new office.

The organization held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate. Moving just down the street from their old facility, also on 4th Avenue, the new facility is bigger and will allow the Red Cross to do more things locally.

As Tom Batson, the Red Cross' disaster program specialist says, the new office will allow them to grow locally.

“You’ll be seeing more of a bio-med presence, we’re going to start doing blood drives here on sight, hopefully once a quarter, you’ll see more of our vehicle usage, a place for our volunteers to become reengaged, since changes have happened during COVID, and so we’ve provided an area for them to be able to do training on site and those kinds of things, so its just going to increase our visibility,” Batson said.

The new office also features space for classrooms, more restrooms, and even a shower for those who need it.