Posts Tagged ‘American Red Cross’

Celebrate National Preparedness Month!

Friday, June 8th, 2012

June is not only the month for summer fun; it is also a month to get prepared! June is National Safety Month. The summer hosts a number of fun activities for warm weather, but it is also important that you are safe about these activities. From the pool to the lake it is important to not only have fun, but also to be safe.

Summer time is also a host to weather emergencies such as hurricanes and high temperatures that can cause injuries. How will you prepare yourself and your family for these various natural emergencies? Below are 10 simple ways that you can prepare your family for any summer related emergency that may come your way!

  1. Make an emergency kit: Build an emergency kit so that you can survive after a disaster. Your kit should include enough food, water, and supplies to last you at least 72 hours.
  2. Learn your surroundings: Make sure that you have a safe place to go in times of emergency.
  3. Locate your lifeguards: If you are not a strong swimmer or you have small children at the pool, make sure you know where the lifeguards are located. Locating lifeguards ensure you will be able to find them when needed.
  4. Time for lawn upkeep: Hurricanes mean strong winds! Make sure that your trees and shrubs are trimmed to prevent house damage.
  5. Stay inside: Summer weather means high temperatures causing such things as smog. When the air quality is poor it is important to stay inside. Ensure your safety by monitoring your local weather report.
  6. Never leave your car unattended: High temperatures mean increased chance of heat related injuries. Never leave your children or pets in the car unattended!
  7. Become CPR certified: Have little kids? No lifeguard at your neighborhood pool? Take a CPR class with your local Red Cross chapter. Your breath could mean life or death for your child.
  8. Keep an eye out: Drowning is one of the top 5 factors of death in your children. Know where your child is at all times. Seconds can mean life or death.
  9. Life vests vs. water wings: Although water wings are typically marketed to protect your child. Most pools outlaw them due to their low safety rating. Purchase a life vest to ensure your young swimmer’s safety in the water.
  10. Stay hydrated: Spending a long day outside? Ensure your overall health and prevent yourself from a heat-related injury by drinking lots of fluids while outside.

Summer time is such a great time of year. By following these tips, you will ensure a care-free season for your entire family!

How are you preparing your family for the summer? We would love to hear about it in the comments section below!

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Happy Birthday to the American Red Cross!

Monday, May 21st, 2012

On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton and a circle of colleagues founded the American Red Cross. Barton and colleagues originally founded the Red Cross to aid injured war soldiers during the Civil War.

Prior to World War I, the American Red Cross developed its first water safety, first aid, and nursing initiatives. From 1914 to 1917 the number of Red Cross chapters, nation-wide, increased to 3,864 in order to aid the war effort. In 1918, Red Cross nurses helped combat the influenza epidemic.

After World War I, the American Red Cross focused their efforts on veteran relief and safety education. The American Red Cross also expanded their services to disaster victim relief and services.

Similar to World War I, the American Red Cross played a major role in World War II from supplies to providing nurses. Post World War II, the American Red Cross held the first nation-wide blood supply drive.

Since World War II, the Red Cross has expanded its services to biomedical research, human tissue collection, civil defense, CPR/AED training, HIV/AIDS education, and disaster victim support. The Red Cross also helped the federal government form the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Since founding the Red Crescent Societies in 1919, the American Red Cross has joined more than 175 other national societies in bringing aid to international victims of disasters.

Today we celebrate the amazing contributions the American Red Cross has given not only the United States, but also the entire world. Let us remember some of these accomplishments by reading the list below:

  • The American Red Cross supplies 40 percent of the nation’s entire blood supply
  • The American Red Cross supplies over 3,000 national hospitals’ blood supply
  • Over 200,000 blood drive are held across the United States, annually
  • During Hurricane Katrina, over 2,000 Red Cross volunteers provided relief
  • The American Red Cross allocated $314.7 million in disaster relief donations to victims of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake.
  • In 2001, the American Red Cross partnered with other world organization in the Measles Initiative. Since 2001, the Measles Initiative has helped vaccinate over 1 billion children in over 60 developing countries.
  • Each year, the American Red Cross responds to over 70,000 disasters.
  • Over 12 million Americans are trained in CPR/AED annually with the American Red Cross course.
  • The American Red Cross provides one-quarter of the nation’s plasma supply through their volunteer services.

These accomplishments would not be possible without the 131 years of American Red Cross existence. May 21 is the day to celebrate the birthday of such an amazing volunteer organization. Take a minute to thank your local Red Cross chapter for the all the work they do.

Do you want to get involved with the American Red Cross? You have a great deal of volunteer options from holding a blood drive to hosting CPR training. Check out the official Red Cross site today to learn more about volunteering opportunities near you and find a local chapter close to your community.

Have you been touched by the Red Cross? We would love to hear your story in the comments section below!

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Celebrate Being Prepared

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

March is a month full of fun and sometimes interesting holidays March is not only a time to celebrate National Noodle Month, but it is also American Red Cross Month.

The American Red Cross has done so much for our country’s well-being since its formation in 1881. Since the Red Cross was formed, countless pints of vital blood supply have been donated and thousands of hours of relief have been volunteered nationally and internationally. It is definitely important to celebrate this tremendous contribution that has been given by Red Cross volunteers and workers.

So how can you get involved in recognizing the selfless dedication of Red Cross volunteers during the month of March and beyond? You can volunteer Red Cross style! Check it our below:

  • Donate blood
  • Be an emergency contact
  • Prepare emergency kits
  • Become an AmeriCorps NCCC or the newly formed FEMA Corps member
  • Become a certified lifeguard or get your CPR certification
  • Get your flu shot
  • Establish an emergency plan in your household, workplace, and school
  • Educate yourself on how to respond to common emergencies in your area
  • Volunteer for disaster relief
  • Educate your children on the importance of emergency preparedness
  • If you cannot swim, take swim lessons. If you can swim, become a swim lessons instructor.
  • Make sure that your house is weather proofed to withstand any natural disasters.
  • Determine a safe area in your house for emergencies
  • Donate to the Red Cross
  • If you are a teacher decorate your classroom in honor of the Red Cross and educate your students on emergency preparedness
  • Check your smoke detector
  • Have your family do a fire drill
  • Establish methods to prepare for a power outage
  • Don’t forget about your pets, make sure to include them in your emergency plans
  • Donate canned foods, blankets, or emergency kits to groups focused on disaster relief.

We hope that these suggestions will help you become more prepared for any emergency that may come your way. Make sure you stay informed on your community’s weather and health conditions so that you may be ready for all types of disasters. It is important to celebrate everything the Red Cross does to help the community by adopting their practices in your own routine. Get out and stay prepared today!

How are you volunteering for emergency preparedness in your community or household? Share with us in the comments section below!

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Are You Good & Ready?

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

We’re excited to announce a new campaign that focuses on emergency preparedness efforts! Our Good & Ready campaign encourages Americans to create personal and family emergency plans, build emergency preparedness kits, and to get trained to be an emergency response volunteer.

We’re partnering with the American Red Cross, Ready.gov and FLASH, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, to help prepare communities for any type of emergency that they may face and to highlight the importance of being prepared for emergency situations and disasters in your home and in your community.

Individuals can get prepared by making a pledge to make an emergency plan, build disaster preparedness kits for their homes and neighbors, or get trained to be an emergency response volunteer. After they’ve made the pledge, they’ll receive more detailed information about how to get Good & Ready that focuses on the types of emergency that their region may face.

When you make your pledge to get Good & Ready, you will be entered for a chance to win a $250 Lowe’s gift card in a weekly drawing, and be entered for the chance to win a $1,000 American Express gift card in the grand prize drawing held at the end of the campaign!  It’s a great opportunity to help improve your emergency preparedness plan, or an easy way to make a donation to an emergency response organization in your community!

So what are you waiting for? Join us and get Good & Ready for an emergency!

 

 

 

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All Together Now – A Tribute to President George H.W. Bush

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Chris Golden, Executive Director and co-founder of myImpact.org

It is protocol that whenever a president of the United States enters or exits a room the audience rises for a standing ovation.

Last Monday night, the sold-out crowd at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington conformed to this ritual- for four former presidents.

It was an extraordinary privilege to be in attendance at the event, honoring President George H. W. Bush and his commitment and legacy of service. The one-hour primetime television special, “All Together Now,” will air tonight on NBC at 8pm EDT.

Service is a timeless American tradition. The idea of neighbors helping neighbors is embodied in our national ethos and exemplified throughout our history. From the founding of the Republic to the establishment of the American Red Cross as a nurse’s corps during the Civil War. From the Civilian Conservation Corps established during the Great Depression to the USA Citizens Corps established after 9/11, the strength of America’s volunteers has defined our country in times of struggle and in times of prosperity.

This spirit was captured in President Bush’s inaugural address when he said, “I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good.”

And in addition to recognizing the Presidents for their common legacies of service, the Tribute ceremony also recognized average Americans, these points of light, shining in their communities that make up the patchwork of our nation.

Their stories, as told by the men who are our modern leaders, are inspiring reminders of the power of individual civic action. How everyday citizens are doing extraordinary things, solving problems in their communities-developing solutions that can be scaled to national results.

Whenever four presidents are in the same room, history is written.

And it is important that we not let this moment in our history pass by. Instead, we must use it as a call to action, to renew our commitments to each other, and our communities as active, engaged citizen leaders. There are many ways to become involved- a good place to begin is with the resources of the Points of Light Institute and Hands On Network.

Even in this time of challenge and uncertainty, it is worth remembering the often silent heroes of our time- the City Year corps member giving a year of their life to serve in an improvised high school, the community leader organizing an environmental clean up, or the RSVP volunteer demonstrating that even after a lifetime career, there is still more to give.

When you stop and think about the impact they are having, it’s worthy of a standing ovation.

Chris Golden is the Executive Director and co-founder of myImpact.org, an online platform for volunteers to record, share and track their impact online, through social media.

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The Long Haul

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

by Melissa Grober, Director of Partnerships, HandsOn Network

I thought it was pretty cool that hair and pantyhose could be combined to absorb oil in the Gulf (called a “hair boom”).

Apparently, so did a lot of other people, as suddenly I saw people in the online community running off to donate their hair to the oil spill clean-up efforts.

How disappointing, then, that the hair boom is a bust.

According to Unified Command, commercial sorbent boom is much more effective at absorbing oil and has the added advantage of not sinking the way hair boom does.

Another case of good intentions gone wrong.

This happens a lot in the disaster world.

The past several weeks have been challenging for many of our affiliates, particularly in the southeastern part of the country.

Between major flooding, tornadoes, storms, and the oil spill, we’ve had more disasters to respond to in 30 days than we had in all of last year!

(Perhaps an exaggeration, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true…)

The oil spill in the Gulf presents a special kind of challenge to volunteers.

Many people want to help the wildlife and help to clear oil from the shore. But volunteers sometimes end up doing more harm than good, both to themselves and to the wildlife they want to help.

This is why Unified Command has decided to use only highly trained paid workers to handle the clean-up efforts.

Our affiliates, however, are working hard to find appropriate ways for volunteers to address critical needs in the Gulf.

Most disasters are not like the oil spill, however.

Communities affected by disaster often need a lot of volunteer support.

Since the flood disaster in early May, Hands On Nashville has signed up 15,000 volunteers.  They have coordinated 830 projects, and  their volunteers have contributed an amazing 63,000 hours of service since the flooding began.

Photo by Nathan Johnson, Hands On Nashville Volunteer

Hands On Nashville has done such a good job coordinating volunteer efforts that it was highlighted by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate for their exemplary work.

The remarkable efforts of the many volunteers in Nashville and HandsOn Nashville got a huge shoutout from NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams last night!

While our affiliates have done a great job in coordinating the work of people who want to help so far, much of the work is still to come.

Our strength as a network in responding to disasters lies in our efforts to promote not just immediate response but also long-term recovery.

Organizations like the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army are great at serving the immediate needs of people affected by disaster, like shelter, food, and urgent care.

We often work side-by-side with these organizations, providing food and water to emergency workers and handing out supplies. And when the immediate needs have been handled and the media attention subsides, our local affiliates and volunteers continue the long, hard work of recovery.

We coordinate volunteers to help with mold abatement in flood-damaged houses.

We help to rebuild damaged schools and community centers. And we provide job training and skill-building resources to people who have lost their jobs.

We’re connected to the needs of communities and we meet those needs through our greatest asset—people who care.

We drive people with good intentions to good volunteer opportunities, and we’re in it for the long haul.

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