HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The American Red Cross of Utah recently opened a permanent fixture on Hill Force Base, its first service desk on Northern Utah’s base community. Active-duty military, reservists, veterans and their families now have in-person access to Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces twice a week, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.

Outside of operating hours, around-the-clock global support can be found by calling 801-823-9066.

“Military families faced numerous challenges over the past year,” said Dee Dodwell, Red Cross of Utah Service to the Armed Forces and International Services director.

Located inside the base’s Customer Support Center, the service desk is staffed entirely by Red Cross volunteers and offers various forms of support, including well-being workshop information, community information, referrals and emergency communications, connecting families and deployed service members.

From July 1, 2021, to date, the Red Cross has sent 193 emergency communication messages for Hill, 53 of which have been sent since March 7, when the new service desk opened.

Dodwell said she requested to be a part of the base community because it is the biggest military and veteran community in Northern Utah and the organization wanted to be available for people to come in and talk to them.

“The Red Cross helps them prepare for, cope with and respond to the challenges of military service,” Dodwell said.

The Northern Utah Red Cross chapter has been supporting Hill since 1915.

In addition to its dedication to the Armed Forces, the nonprofit organization shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies roughly 40% of the nation’s blood; distributes international humanitarian aid; and teaches life-saving skills.

The Red Cross depends on volunteers and generosity to complete its mission. For more information, visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org.

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