From a house fire to a hurricane, they're there to help. Now two local chapters of the American Red Cross are merging to make an even bigger difference.

Starting July 1, the Staunton/Western Augusta Red Cross will join with the chapter that serves eastern Augusta and Rockbridge counties, including the cities of Waynesboro, Lexington, and Buena Vista.

At an annual volunteer recognition meeting held Monday night at Augusta Medical Center, the combined chapter unveiled its new name: "American Red Cross of the Blue Ridge."

Its executive director, Jack Belcher, says the merger will greatly cut administrative costs, but communities will still be served by the same local volunteers.

"They're gonna say, ‘We're here from the Red Cross.’ And they could call you by your first name, because most of our communities are small communities," he said. "So we're able to keep that community touch, but operate a much larger chapter."

The central office for American Red Cross of the Blue Ridge will be in Staunton.

Belcher says the new chapter will serve almost 150,000 people.