one by one®: Rock Hill Ambulance Corp.
Sam Smith called 911 when his partner was in need of medical attention due to severe heart disease. They lived in a rural area with limited emergency resources, so an ambulance had to be called in from outside the area. More than 30 minutes passed before first responders arrived. Thankfully, Smith knew how to provide emergency assistance while waiting for help.
After that incident, Smith was inspired to do something to help meet the community’s need for first responders. That led him to Rock Hill Ambulance Corp.
Helping those who feel helpless 
Rock Hill Ambulance Corp. is an all-volunteer organization that services rural Rock Hill, N.Y., and the surrounding areas. From EMTs to drivers and more, volunteers dedicate their time to providing emergency assistance to people who would otherwise have to wait.
One night, after a full day of work at his full-time job, Smith received a 911 call. Even though he had to work the next day, he jumped in his vehicle to help. Like Smith, volunteers dedicate their nights, weekends and spare time to help people who can’t be quickly reached due to limited services.
Last year, they serviced approximately 550 calls with two ambulances, one fly car and 20 volunteers.
Attracting attention by using jacket giveaways
Volunteers are always looking for ways to get the word out about the organization. This year, they stuffed 18,000 Easter eggs for local children to find in an egg hunt. The event included an Easter bunny, egg painting, food, a DJ and more. People of all ages had a blast.
“It rained but we still had a great day. Activities and food are all free, although this event is also like a fundraiser for us because we do raffles to raise money,” volunteer Eric Kaplan said. “Local businesses also donate things for us to use. We needed a way for us to stand out though.”
To help make volunteers more identifiable, Kaplan used a one by one grant to order jacket giveaways. “Besides wearing them at the event, we can also take these jackets on calls with us so people can easily identify us,” Kaplan said. “We’re attracting a lot of high school and college students as volunteers, and if we’re out and about, the jackets can help draw more attention to our cause.”
A note from Cheryl
It’s inspiring to see the emergency services that Rock Hill Ambulance Corp. volunteers provide to people who need it most. 4imprint is honored to help the organization increase visibility and spread the word with jacket giveaways. To learn more about a one by one grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.