Partnership with VA, Vets Groups Makes 100+ Homes Safer

Posted on June 19, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

The heat couldn’t keep the Red Cross and some of its partners from installing smoke alarms throughout Northeast Ohio on Saturday, June 17, 2017.

The high temperature topped out at 93 degrees, as volunteers from the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System and members of several veterans groups helped install nearly 300 smoke alarms in homes in four separate cities simultaneously. The Operation Save-A-Life event was scheduled to occur during the same week as Flag Day, an observance that is held with reverence among many members of the military and veterans.

“Our Northeast Ohio VA employees are dedicated to serving those who serve day in and day out. Their dedication carries over to their time away from work as we join forces with the Red Cross to make our Veterans homes and those of their neighbors safer,” said Susan M. Fuehrer, Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System Director.

Homeowners in Akron, Canton, Mansfield and Parma received home fire safety information as well as smoke alarms, installed at no cost to them.

“It was an extremely hot day, but through your hard work and commitment to your communities, we were able to make 103 homes in Northeast Ohio safer by installing 297 smoke alarms,” wrote Jessica Tischler, Director of Service to the Armed Forces for the Red Cross of Northeast Ohio, in a message to the volunteers.

“I can’t get over it, this is such a nice thing you all are doing,” said Sara Janasik of Parma, as smoke alarms were being installed in her Monmouth Road home.

The Flag Day event preceded another big push to prevent home fire deaths this fall. Sound the Alarm, a home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event will take place across the country, including Northeast Ohio during the weekends of September 23, September 30, October 7 and October 14, 2017. If you’d like to help us make homes safer, become a Red Cross volunteer. Call 216-431-3328 for more information about Sound the Alarm and all of the volunteer opportunities the Red Cross offers.

You can also help people affected by disasters like home fires by making a donation to support Red Cross disaster relief online. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the words RED CROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

VA, Veterans to Help Red Cross Make Homes Safer

Posted on June 16, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Home Fire Safety and Smoke Alarm Installation Event to Take Place in Honor of Flag Day

Homes in four Northeast Ohio cities will be made safer on Saturday, June 17, 2017. That’s when the Red Cross, employees from the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, and various veterans groups will fan out in neighborhoods in Akron, Canton, Mansfield and Parma to provide residents with home fire safety information and to install smoke alarms in homes where they are needed.

“This partnership with the VA and various veterans’ groups is an effort to provide continuing service to our communities,” said Jessica Tischler, Red Cross Regional Director of Service to the Armed Forces. “We intentionally planned it in honor of Flag Day, to focus on our military and veteran connected communities.”

Brinton Lincoln, a military veteran and member of the Red Cross Greater Cleveland Chapter Board of Directors, said, “The American Red Cross does so very much to support active military members, veterans and their families. It is a true privilege for those of who have served within the armed forces, to give back to the Red Cross by sponsoring and partaking in this event.”

Homes to benefit by this home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event are located in areas near 4 Northeast Ohio VA facilities:

Akron: 55 W. Waterloo, Akron, OH 44319-1116
Canton: 733 Market Avenue South, Canton, OH 44702-1018
Mansfield: 1025 South Trimble Rd., Mansfield, OH 44906
Parma: 8787 Brookpark Road, Parma, OH 44129

The Red Cross and its partners have saved more than 250 lives as part of the nationwide Home Fire Campaign to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries. The long-term goal of the initiative is to reduce the number of injuries and deaths due to home fires by 25% over a five year period.

More than 15,000 smoke alarms have been installed in Northeast Ohio homes by the Red Cross and its partners since July 1, 2016. Local residents can get more information about smoke alarm installations through the by visiting http://www.redcross.org/neoosal.

Volunteers Honored for Making Homes Safer

Posted on May 23, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

President’s Award Bestowed by Stark County Firefighters During EMS Week Celebration

They weren’t expecting it. Several volunteers from the American Red Cross of Stark and Muskingum Lakes thought they were simply attending a breakfast to help kick-off EMS Week activities. But they were honored by the Stark County Firefighters Association with the President’s Award, for the home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events they’ve been a part of.

One of those events took place on May 17, when teams of Red Cross volunteers and partners from the North Canton Fire Department went door-to-door in a senior retirement community of manufactured homes, offering fire safety education and installing smoke alarms at no cost to the residents. They entered more than 60 homes, installing 130 alarms.

Tim Reichel, the Chapter’s Disaster Program Manager commended the volunteers for the work they have done to make homes and neighborhoods safer.

“It’s a labor of love. They thoroughly enjoy giving back to the community. And our partners with the fire department are grateful to be engaged. It’s a win win for everyone.”

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS

More home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events are planned throughout the summer, including on June 17, in honor of Flag Day. Partners from the VA and veterans groups will join Red Cross volunteers in four separate communities that day to help make homes safer. Visit our website to volunteer for our home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event in honor of Flag Day on June 17.

Partners Help Make Parma Homes Safer

Posted on May 10, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Young Professionals Help Protect People in Parma from Home Fires

A new partnership proved to be fruitful for residents in a neighborhood of Parma on Saturday, May 6. Members of the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club joined forces with the Red Cross and members of the Parma Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to install more than two-dozen smoke alarms in homes where needed. The volunteers also performed home fire safety inspections and offered valuable fire prevention and safety education.

The Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club is the longest-running young professional association in Northeast Ohio. The mission and vision is to enrich the lives of young professionals, to foster the future leaders of Cleveland. The group is independent, open and inclusive, and membership represents a wide range of cultures, backgrounds and professions, and touching the lives of more than 1,000 young professionals through its programs on an annual basis.

“Our volunteers from The Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club enjoyed working together with the American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland and Parma Cert to help install free smoke alarms in people’s homes,” said Melanie Raese, Philanthropy Director of the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club. “It was a fun, team building experience and we learned about fire safety. We are grateful to serve our communities and to work alongside those dedicated to building safer neighborhoods.”

Since 2014, Red Cross volunteers, along with fire departments and other partners, have visited homes installing free smoke alarms, replacing batteries in existing alarms and providing fire prevention and safety education to prevent needless tragedies. More than 26,000 smoke alarms have been installed in homes in Northeast Ohio in the past two years. This fall, the Red Cross will celebrate the program with Sound the Alarm, a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events nationwide. Volunteers will install 100,000 free smoke alarms in high risk neighborhoods in Akron, Cleveland, and more than 100 other cities across the country, culminating in the installation of the one millionth smoke alarm!

If you would like to help us Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives, visit us at redcross.org/neo and click on the Volunteer tab. More information about Sound the Alarm is located here.

See more photos, taken by Red Cross volunteer George Scherma, on Flickr.

Team Effort Makes Maple Heights Neighborhood Safer

Posted on April 24, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

More than 40 homes in Maple Heights are safer, after volunteers from several veteran-related service groups partnered with the Red Cross and the Maple Heights Fire Department to install smoke alarms and share fire safety information on Saturday, April 22.

Volunteers from The Mission Continues, Team Rubicon, and Team Red White and Blue went door-to-door in a neighborhood near Maple Heights High school to check existing smoke alarms, replace batteries, and install new smoke alarms where needed. They also shared valuable fire safety information.

The Mission Continues empowers veterans who are adjusting to life at home to find purpose through community impact. They deploy veterans on new missions in their communities, so that their actions will inspire future generations to serve. The Cleveland 1st Service Platoon was launched this month.

Maple Heights resident Mikoyan Headen receives fire safety information from Red Cross volunteer Bill Renninger of Team Rubicon

Mikoyan Headen is happy to have Red Cross fire safety information

Mikoyan Headen was grateful to have new smoke alarms installed in her home. She survived a home fire as a child. “Our house looked like burnt toast,” she said. “We lost everything and had to completely start over.”

Volunteers from another service group joined the Fire Safety Walk as well. Three members of “We’re Not Famous, But We Made It” also installed smoke alarms where needed. Volunteer James Davenport said, “Our members have hit bumps in the road along the way. We want to make sure we give back to the community.”

Dawud Hamzah, james Davenport and Amir Hassan of We’re Not Famous But We Made It.

It’s a perfect time to give back. This is National Volunteer Week (April 23-29) and the Red Cross offers many volunteer opportunities. Visit us at redcross.org/neo to begin the application process.

See more photos from the Fire Safety Walk in Maple Heights by visiting our Flickr page.

Magics Learn Disaster Safety

Posted on March 29, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Hurricane Season begins June 1.

And while that usually (usually!) isn’t a major factor when planning for Northeast Ohio weather, we do have plenty of disasters that we need to be aware of and plan for, here in NEO.

To that end, the Red Cross continues to help children in our communities learn about disasters that can (and do!) happen in NEO through our Pillowcase Project.

Nearly 300 students at Barberton Elementary School West had the opportunity to learn more about home fire safety and winter weather safety when kids from third to fifth grade participated in the program in February.

The volunteer team leading the education portion included members of the Advancement to Nursing program, high school students from Barberton and the surrounding communities.

To learn more about how to host the Pillowcase Program at your school, click here.

Smoke Alarm Goal Achieved: More Than 10,000 Installed So Far

Posted on March 10, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Mission accomplished.

For the second year in a row, the Northeast Ohio Region has reached the goal set for the number of smoke alarm installations in homes throughout our communities.

And there are still nearly four months to go before the close of the fiscal year, June 30th.

The goal was 10,000 smoke alarms. As of Monday, March 6, Red Cross workers, volunteers and community partners had installed more than 10,100. “While we continue to seek our own internal goal of exceeding our installation totals from last year (approximately 13,000) we still must take a moment to recognize all of the hard work that has gone into achieving the national target at this point in FY 2017,” Regional Disaster Officer Tim O’Toole wrote in a message to the Northeast Ohio staff. “As one of the smallest regions in the nation we still are among the leaders in this effort.

WJW Photographer Jim Pijor records John Gareis installing a smoke alarm

Fire Walk with CERT (Community Emergency Relations Team) in Parma OH

The annoncement couldn’t come at a better time: this weekend, we are urged to TEST our smoke alarms as we TURN our clocks ahead for Daylight Saving Time. It’s also a good time to take these steps to make sure our households are prepared for emergencies:

Install smoke alarms. If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, they should install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Check local building codes for additional requirements.
Practice an escape plan. Make sure everyone in the household knows how to get out of every room and how to get out of the home in less than two minutes.
Get a kit. Keep disaster supplies in an easy-to-carry bag to use at home or if ordered to evacuate.
Make a plan. Have all household members plan what steps they should take if an emergency occurs.
Be informed. Learn what emergencies can occur in the area and how officials notify residents should a disaster occur.

The installation of smoke alarms is just one part of the Operation Save-A-Life campaign. Providing free home fire safety inspections and disseminating valuable fire safety information are also critical components. And volunteers perform the majority of the work involved in making our communities safer.

You can volunteer to help the red Cross make our communities safer at redcross.org/neo, where you can also apply for a home fire safety inspection and free smoke alarm installation.

The fiscal year ends on June 30th. We’ll let you know how many MORE smoke alarms our volunteers, staff and partners are able to install by then.

Stay tuned.

Operation Save-A-Life Lives Up to its Name, Again and Again

Posted on February 8, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

More Lives Saved Across the Country Thanks to Smoke Alarms, Education

159. That is the number of documented lives saved as of the close of 2016, thanks to the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross rolled out nationwide in 2014.

The campaign is modeled after Operation Save-A-Life, which began as a partnership between the Cleveland Fire Department and the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the Red Cross in 1992.

The 25th anniversary of Operation Save-A Life will be recognized at the 2017 Red Cross Fire and Ice Ball, which takes place on March 25 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Cleveland.
Together with corporations, community groups and other partners, the Red Cross provides residents with valuable fire safety information and installs free smoke alarms in homes where they are needed. 32318085516_522639e1c2_z

“Thanks to the tireless work of our volunteers, employees, local fire departments, and other partners in the Home Fire Campaign, today we celebrate 159 documents lives saved,” said Harvey Johnson, Senior Vice President, Disaster Cycle Services.

Partners helping the Red Cross achieve its goal of reducing deaths and injury due to home fires by 25% range from the employees of Lincoln Electric to a group of missionaries from the Akron Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Eight elders of the church recently installed 60 alarms in the homes of people in need.

“The group is very dedicated, said Debbie Chitester, Disaster Program Manager for the Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties Chapter. “I have worked with missionaries on disaster operations across the country. They always come through for us and the people we serve.”

Your group can be a part of Operation Save-A-Life in Northeast Ohio by sponsoring a smoke alarm installation project. Log onto redcross.org/neoosal, and click on your county to register.

The smoke alarms you install could be the next ones that save a life.

From Masury to the Mediterranean

Posted on January 24, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Mahoning Valley Native Works with Red Cross to Help Migrants

By: Anmol Nigam, American Red Cross Communications Volunteer

Red Cross and MOAS migrant rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea 2016

Jenelle Eli stands aboard the Responder rescue vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, some 13 nautical miles off the Libyan Coast. Photo credit: Mathieu Willcocks/MOAS

When she thinks back to last October, Mahoning Valley native Jenelle Eli remembers working aboard the Responder. She remembers the Mediterranean Sea, gently rocking against the hull of the ship. She remembers looking through inky blackness of the night. And through that shroud of darkness, she remembers the hundreds of migrants trying to escape their own deaths.

Eli is the International Communications Director for the American Red Cross. Last October, she shared her experiences aboard the Responder on a Red Cross blog. The Responder is a search and rescue vessel that operates to provide lifesaving services to those adrift in the Mediterranean Sea. Packed into unstable rafts, these migrants often undertake the perilous journey to cross the sea with the hope that it will have a safe ending.

Eli warns of the risks that migrants face. “If boats weren’t out there to rescue people,” Eli said, “there’s no doubt that they would die at sea.”

Migrants get ready to disembark from the Responder ship — after being rescued from the Mediterranean Sea. Photo credit: Mathieu Willcocks/MOAS

A migrant aboard the Responder ship prays after being rescued from a rubber dinghy in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo credit: Mathieu Willcocks/MOAS

Red Cross Red Crescent relief worker, Jenelle Eli, comforts a migrant who was injured during her time in an overcrosded rubber dinghy in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo credit: Mathieu Willcocks/MOAS

After helping migrants reach safety, Eli works to improve their lives. However, despite all the travelling her work entails, “Ohio will always be my home,” she explains. Throughout her journeys, she remembers her beginnings in Masury, Ohio — a small community in Trumbull County, where neighbors are friends and strangers are friendly.

When she was a student attending Ohio University, she found her passion for helping refugees. During her college career, she volunteered with international students, learning of the hardships they faced.

“Some of my friends’ families…were in danger every day,” Eli said. “They weren’t sure if they’d have a home to return to once their degrees were finished—or if they’d even be safe back home.”

Years later, she ended up on the Responder. But on those late nights aboard, when the waves rocked the ship and the winds fell silent, Eli remembered back to Ohio, and she missed it. She missed the forests and nature. And she missed her friends and family.

“I miss being in the presence of my mom and dad every single day,” Eli said. When she’s travelling abroad, she misses the simple things, such as tap water or pierogi and pepperoni rolls.

Eli understands how overwhelming this is for those who want to help. People should not feel helpless when they hear about the migration crisis, Eli said. “Refugees from all over the world have settled in Cleveland, Akron, and Erie, PA. Anyone who wants to help can do so by welcoming refugees and volunteering with families right here in the USA.”

To learn more about the global Red Cross response to the migration crisis, visit redcross.org/migrationcrisis. Click here for information on other international services offered by the Red Cross.

Smoke Alarms Installed on MLK Day of Service

Posted on January 17, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Austintown, Boardman Residents Receive Fire Safety Information Along with Smoke Alarms

Among the many community groups taking part in the 2017 MLK Day of Service was the Red Cross. Volunteers from the Lake to River Chapter visited homes in Austintown and Boardman to distribute valuable information meant to keep families safe in the event of a home fire. They also installed smoke alarms where needed.

Four teams of volunteers fanned out to install more than 60 alarms in 27 homes. Their efforts were covered by WKBN.

Smoke alarms cut the risk of serious injury or death due to home fire in half. The Red Cross launched its Home Fire Campaign, know locally as Operation Save-A-Life, in 2014, with the goal of reducing the number of fire-related deaths by 25% over a fire year period.

So far, more than 130 lives across the country have been saved because residents were alerted to fire in their homes by smoke alarms.

If you are in need of smoke alarms in your home, log onto the Operation Save-A-Life page.

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Photo credit: Paul Wadowick/American Rede Cross volunteer

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region

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