Royal Palm Students Helping Hand

Spring cleaning at the Red Cross was easy with the help of the Royal Palm students. They also sorted a wide variety of banners for the Edison Parades coming up. Thank you Royal Palm!

Service to the Armed Forces Update

The American Red Cross sends emergency messages to members of the United States Military to notify service members of emergency situations. Messages are sent in regards to such situations as births, serious illnesses and deaths of imitate family members. These communications are delivered around-the-clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year by our wonderful Volunteers and Staff. Locally this year we have sent over 304 messages.

We work with local Veteran organizations, Veteran Center and the VA Clinic to help supply our returning veterans, active duty personnel and their families with the resources, contacts, and means to adjust and succeed in civilian life. We do outreach events using our “Get to Know Us before You Need Us” briefings along with table top presentations for Active Military / Veteran’s and family. We have a Veteran Family support group meeting once a month (second Thursday) at Perkins Family Restaurant meeting room. At our last meeting we had 35 Veteran and Military family members attend.

The American Red Cross has a mentoring program that has been very successful we have helped over 45 clients. We are recruiting Volunteer Veteran’s to assist in this program. The mentor helps the Veteran navigate and receive their benefits and help in our community.

Halloween is Lurking Around the Corner

As ghosts and vampires get ready to roam the streets, the American Red Cross has tips to make this a frightfully safe Halloween.

Costume Safety
Whether a child wants to be a princess, a monster or a superhero for Halloween, parents can help keep it safe by:
 Adding reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags.
 Using flame-resistant costumes.
 Using face makeup instead of masks, which can cover your eyes and make it hard to see.

Navigating the Neighborhood
To maximize safety, plan a route ahead of time. Make sure adults know where children are going. If the children are young, a parent or responsible adult should accompany them as they walk through the neighborhood.

Here are more safety tips to follow as children go from house to house:
 Make sure trick-or-treaters have a flashlight.
 Visit only the homes that have a porch light on. Accept treats at the door—never go inside.
 Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic.
 Look both ways before crossing the street, and cross only at the corner.
 Don’t cut across yards or use alleys. Don’t cross between parked cars.
 Be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.

Trick or Treat!
For those who expect to greet trick-or-treaters at their door, they can make sure it’s fun for everyone by following a few tips:
 Make sure the outdoor lights are on.
 Sweep leaves from sidewalks and steps.
 Clear the porch or front yard of any obstacles that a child could trip over.
 Restrain pets.
 Use a glow stick instead of a candle in jack-o-lanterns to avoid a fire hazard.

Visit redcross.org for more advice on having a safe and fun Halloween.

Wink News Story with Richard Nye

Hear our own vol Richard Nye on deployment in this story by @winknews http://ow.ly/6gxqA

We have our eyes and ears on TS Irene an

We have our eyes and ears on TS Irene and so should you. Follow this link for a hurricane prep checklist http://ow.ly/68KOa

Local man uses Red Cross CPR to save son

Local man uses #redcross CPR to save his son, who was struck by lightning – awesome! http://ow.ly/64ngs

Lehigh House Fire: A Volunteer’s Perspective

On Wednesday, August 10, the Lee County Chapter of the American Red Cross responded to a house fire in east Lehigh. The fire consumed the home displacing a family of 4 and 1 renter.

Every month, members of our Chapter’s Disaster Action Team (DAT team for short) respond to a variety of brush fires, house fires, and other disasters that displace members of our community. These local volunteers are able to provide displaced families with temporary housing and other forms of assistance to meet their immediate needs following a disaster. On Wednesday afternoon, I had the opportunity to provide that comfort to a family in east Lehigh after their home and all of their belongings were consumed in a house fire.

We often remind our volunteers that “you are never alone” and that there is always another Red Cross volunteer there to help you. We frequently follow this concept on our DAT responses, going out in two person teams. On Wednesday afternoon, I was the only team member available to respond, making it my first solo DAT call. Though I was a bit apprehensive, I was confident in my abilities and left less than 10 minutes after receiving the call from our disaster director.

When I arrived at the home in the eastern Lehigh area, the fire was still burning, and there was an array of fire trucks, police cars, and other emergency vehicles parked within a block of the fire. This wasn’t the first house fire I had seen, but it was easily one of the most destructive, taking the entire home and all of its contents.

I approached the Fire Chief and he led me to a young woman he introduced as the owner of the house. The mother of two, though distraught, was trying to remain calm for the sake of her children. The husband arrived shortly after I did, followed by another young woman who, the couple told me, had been renting a room for the past few months. All had lost everything in the fire that engulfed the house in less than 10 minutes.

Given the circumstances of the family and the resources I had, I was able to provide all members of the household with a hotel and money for food, toiletries, and clothing to help them through the immediate period following the disaster.  I was also able to provide the family with referrals to several of our partner agencies, including the Salvation Army, who will be able to help them in their long term recovery.

It’s always a challenge to see such a tragedy in the community, and though it never gets easier to see something like a family losing their home, it’s a relief to know that an organization like the Red Cross is there to help our families, friends, and neighbors in the local community. When I saw the appreciation in the eyes of the family I helped last night, I immediately understood why our volunteers give so much of their time, and why our donors are so generous. It’s so that we can provide services like these to people in need in communities all over the country.

 

If you have time that you’re able to give back to the local community, I can think of no better organization than your local Red Cross Chapter. Being a volunteer for the American Red Cross is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Though becoming a member of our DAT team isn’t easy, and can take several months of classes and waiting, it’s all more than worth it when you’re able to say: “I helped someone when they needed me the most.”

-Andrew Striker

Teaching people with disabilities to swim

Very nice story by @winknews about our partnership with a Sanibel man who is teaching people w/ disabilities to swim http://ow.ly/5XG3t

Don’t let Emily (or whoever) catch you

Don’t let Emily (or whoever) catch you off-guard. This hurricane checklist is a great place to start http://ow.ly/5Or5X

Hurricane Checklist

Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed. Get your hurricane checklist here http://ow.ly/5Or5X