May 2, 2015
Red Cross offices could move to Main St.
The American Red Cross of Cortland County is considering a move to Main Street in an effort to reduce or eliminate rental costs, ultimately freeing up funds for more services.
The Red Cross is currently occupying its Clinton Avenue location on a month-to-month basis as it searches for a new site in light of cutbacks made last October, which included the layoff of the office manager, the sole paid employee of the branch.
An announcement on the charity’s new location is anticipated within the next few weeks or a few months, said Scott Aminov, the regional chief operation officer for the group. Since the move has to be settled by the charity’s national and regional staff, as well as the property owner, it is hard to predict when a deal will be finalized, Aminov said.
The Red Cross provides support to disaster and fire victims, as well as running blood drives and teaching safety courses.
Nationally, the Red Cross is pushing to move offices out of rented spaces to donated spaces as a way to cut costs, Aminov said. The saved funds can then be spent on services to help more people.
“Basically, we’re trying to be better stewards of the money entrusted to us,” Aminov said.
The charity is looking for a Cortland location that would offer free, or nearly free, rent and utilities, he said.
Aminov declined to give the cost of rent at the current location on Clinton Avenue.
A Main Street location was found and Red Cross workers will be visiting the site to make sure it fits the charity’s needs, Aminov said. Aminov declined to provide the site’s exact address as there are several steps to complete before the move is finalized.
First, the charity must make sure the space meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards, such as having a wheelchair ramp and elevators, Aminov said.
A business plan justifying any potential expenses, such as utility payments, will also have to be submitted to the Red Cross’ real estate services department for review, he said.
If the plan is approved, the charity will be able to sign a lease agreement.
A previous deal to occupy a donated space on Groton Avenue fell through in the beginning of April, Aminov said. A renter offered to pay the property owner for the space while the charity’s real estate services were examining the deal, he said.
Volunteers staff the current office every day from about 9 a.m. to noon, said Tom Margrave, the community volunteer leader for Cortland County. That schedule is not expected to change after the move, Aminov said.
One frustrating challenge volunteers have faced since the October layoff is that the community seems to believe the Red Cross no longer has a presence in the county, Margrave said.
“The big thing is that the Red Cross is still here,” he said.
On Wednesday, the charity supplied a Willet family that lost everything in a fire last week with clothing and other items, Margrave noted.
Volunteers are the greatest need the Cortland County Red Cross has, Margrave said.
The charity could always use those who are willing to volunteer with the Red Cross’ disaster services and could also use help staffing the Cortland office in the afternoon, Margrave said.
Funds and blood donors are also needed, he said.
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