NEO Volunteers Respond to 11 Home Fires Over Weekend

Posted on December 21, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Across the nation, every 8 minutes the American Red Cross responds to a Home Fire.

This weekend Red Cross volunteers across northeast Ohio responded to 11 home fires, and helped 43 displaced individuals find shelter and nourishment for the first few days following the event.

Each and every day Red Cross volunteers respond to home fires in our communities – Beloit, Willowick, Conneaut, Warren, Cleveland, Akron, Sandusky, Mansfield, Canton and every point in-between. We know the devastation that such a disaster can bring to a family. And that is why local volunteers get up at 1 a.m. or whenever their phone rings. They get out of their own nice, warm beds to provide hope when it is needed most.

That hope is available thanks to the kindness of northeast Ohio community members. Thanks to you, we were able to provide the families who experienced home fires this weekend with over $9,500 in aid to help them with a place to stay for a few nights, a few meals, to replace winter wear and a few clothing items.

“I want to thank our disaster team members for the generosity they display each and every time they respond to a home fire,” said Tim O’Toole, Regional Disaster Officer for Northeast Ohio. “But especially during this, the Holiday season. It’s a time when most people reflect on their good fortune and find ways to contribute to their community, either through volunteerism or by financial donations, and I thank our team for choosing to give through the Red Cross.”

The winter months are when a majority of home fires occur – between holiday candles, Christmas trees, heating units and holiday cooking. To make sure your home is prepared for colder temperatures visit our website, http://www.redcross.org/prepare.

2015, Across the Nation

Posted on December 17, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

In an unusually busy year, the Red Cross helped hundreds of thousands of people impacted by disasters in 2015, both here at home and around the globe. Red Cross disaster workers responded to 176 large U.S. disasters – more than each of the past three years.

The cost of just the four largest of these disasters is more than $30 million – this includes flooding in Texas and South Carolina, wildfires in California and Typhoon Soudelor, which battered the island of Saipan in August; (Saipan is part of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific).

Amidst all of these devastating events, home fires continued to be the largest disaster threat in the United States. During 2015, the Red Cross provided casework assistance to help 214,000 people whose lives were affected by a home fire. The Red Cross also helped prevent home fires and related injuries and deaths by working with local partners across the country to install 195,000 smoke alarms and teach 268,000 youth about fire safety.

Whether a disaster affects just one family or thousands of families, the Red Cross of Northeast Ohio is committed to helping people get back on their feet as quickly as possible. But we need your support now to continue providing help to families affected by disasters.

And today – December 17, 2015 – a generous donor will match what you give, dollar-for-dollar, until $50,000. [https://www.redcross.org/donate/2015-holiday-match-gift].

Your support will help our chapters install smoke alarms in susceptible communities, provide fire and disaster safety education to children (and their parents), provide emergency communication for our military members and their families, reconnect families torn apart by conflicts, and – most importantly – provide hope when and where it is needed most.

The Red Cross was listed as a high-rated charity on this year’s Consumer Reports Best and Worst Charities for Your Donations list.

You can donate anytime at www.redcross.org/donate, by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-27677), or donate $10 by text-to-give through your wireless carrier (text REDCROSS to 90999)*

* SMS Donation Terms and Conditions

You can make a $10.00 donation to the American Red Cross. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 90999 to STOP. Text HELP to 90999 for HELP. Full Terms: www.mGive.org/T.

American Red Cross Board Holds First Combined Meeting

Posted on December 15, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Two Former Leaders Honored with Lifetime Board Memberships

The Boards of Directors for American Red Cross Blood Services, Northern Ohio Region and the Greater Cleveland Chapter have merged, forming one combined American Red Cross Board in Northeast Ohio.

During the inaugural meeting of the merged board, two past leaders were awarded honorary Lifetime Board Memberships.

Current CEO Mike Parks and Honorary Lifetime Board Member Steve D. Bullock

Steve D. Bullock

Mike Parks and Steve D. Bullock

Photo Credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

Steve D. Bullock, who began his career with the American Red Cross in 1962, served as Chief Executive Officer for the Greater Cleveland Chapter from 1982-1999. He was then selected by Elizabeth Dole to succeed her as acting president of the national American Red Cross.

Mary-Alice Frank started her American Red Cross career in 1979, and was named CEO of the Greater Cleveland Chapter in 1999. She went on to serve as CEO of the Northeast Ohio Region when the national Red Cross merged its chapters into regions in 2011, and held the position until leaving the Red Cross in 2014. She was unable to attend the first combined board meeting due to travel commitments.

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In addition to the Honorary Lifetime Memberships, current board member Chris Mapes, CEO of Lincoln Electric was presented with the inaugural Corporate Partnership award.

New members serving on the combined American Red Cross board include Kerry Bubolz, President of Business Operations for the Cleveland Cavaliers; Micki Byrnes, President and General Manager of WKYC; Carrie F. Fanelly, General Manager of Commercial Operations for Dominion East Ohio; Susan M. Fuehrer, Medical Center Director for the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Matthew T. Garrity, Executive Vice President of Home Savings; H. W. Birkett Gibson, President of Birkettmire, Ltd; John B. Hexter, Consultant for Hexter Consulting; Sally L. Levine, Principal at Levine Architecture & Design, Ltd; Natalie McAllister, Regional Director at Global Prairie; Rick Taylor, Corporate Vice President EHS at Parker Hannifin; and Shawn M. Riley, Managing Partner at McDonald Hopkins LLC.

Mr. Riley was appointed Board Chairman, succeeding David Doll of UBS Financial Services. Laura Hauser of Hauser Law, LLC was reappointed as Board Secretary.

You don’t have to work in finance or law to volunteer with the American Red Cross. More than 800 residents in Northeast Ohio are Red Cross volunteers, helping their neighbors recover following home fires, guiding donors at blood drives, even taking pictures and shooting video at various Red Cross events. If you are interested in volunteering, visit our website: redcross.org/neo and click on “Volunteer” on the left side of the screen. You will be dropped directly into the application process. You may also call 216-431-3328 or email, NEOvolunteer@redcross.org.

The next meeting of the combined American Red Cross Board in Northeast Ohio will be held in March, 2016.

Wreaths Across America

Posted on December 14, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

On Saturday, the Red Cross assisted a national program, Wreaths Across America, at the Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman.

The annual program remembers and honors the fallen at national cemeteries across the country by placing wreaths on veteran headstones on a certain day in December – this year it was December 12. It’s an amazing program – the wreaths are sponsored by citizens across the nation, then trucked in to each of the cemeteries by volunteers. The wreaths are then placed by local volunteers.

The Red Cross was on site to pass out coffee, hot chocolate and water. The hot beverages are usually a welcome treat for the volunteers, but with Saturday’s balmy temperatures water was the most requested drink.

Following the placement on individual grave sites, the cemetery holds a ceremony which places a wreath in memorial of every veteran in each branch of service.

For more photos from the 2015 ceremony, please visit our Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties Chapter Facebook page.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Preparing Families for Emergencies

Posted on December 12, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Most people believe that on the First Day of Christmas the appropriate gift to give is a Partridge in a Pear Tree. Well, the Red Cross believes in building Disaster Resilient Neighborhoods during the Holiday Season, as well throughout the year.

To help you select stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts designed to make individuals, families and the homes they live in as safe as possible, the Red Cross has put together the following recommendations for gifts for the Twelve Days of Christmas.

On the First Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you install a SMOKE ALARM. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of a home; outside bedrooms on the ceiling or high on the wall, at the top of open stairways and at the bottom of enclosed stairs and near (but not in) the kitchen. It is important to check your Smoke Alarms every month and replace their batteries when Daylight Savings Time begins in the spring and ends in the fall.

On the Second Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you install a CARBON MONOXIDE (CO2) ALARM. Carbon Monoxide Alarms should be placed in hallways throughout the home. They should also be placed in recreational vehicles and on boats.

On the Third Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you install a FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Install A-B-C type Fire Extinguishers in the home and teach all household members how to use them.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you install a FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. Homes with more than one floor should have at least one Fire Escape Ladder stored on all floors, other than ground level. Store these ladders where they are easily accessible.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you assemble a FAMILY DISASTER SUPPLIES KIT. A family will cope best by preparing for a disaster before it strikes. One way to prepare is by assembling a Family Disaster Supplies Kit. Once disaster hits, you won’t have time to shop and search for supplies.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you assemble a PET SUPPLIES KIT. Pets enrich the lives of individuals and families in more ways than you can count. In turn they depend on people for their safety and well-being. Having a Pet Disaster Supplies Kit is one of the best ways to care for pets when disaster strikes.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you acquire a WEATHER RADIO. As the voice of the National Weather Service, a Weather Radio provides continuous broadcasts of the latest weather information directly from a National Weather Service Forecast Office. During severe weather routine broadcasting is interrupted and special watch and warning messages are issued.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you get a FIRST AID KIT. Because the first five minutes of a medical emergency are critical, every individual and family should have First Aid Kits in their home and vehicles (including boats).

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you attend FIRST AID AND CPR TRAINING. For more than a century, the Red Cross has been saving lives with Health and Safety Services education programs. A unique idea for a Christmas stocking would be a Gift Certificate for a First Aid and CPR Training course.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you purchase HOUSE NUMBERS. Each home should have its number posted clearly on the front door, over the doorway, or elsewhere on the front so emergency responders can easily locate it. Lives and property can be saved simply by using adequate house numbers placed where emergency workers can find them. You can purchase numbers at your local hardware store.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you purchase a FLASHLIGHT. As simple as a Flashlight is, it can become a very important tool to use during and after a disaster. Every family disaster supplies kit should contain a flashlight and spare batteries.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the Red Cross recommends that you create an EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION PLAN. Each home should have a list of Emergency Phone Numbers posted near the phone or in the front of a phone book.

For additional information on these and other safety tips visit:

http://www.redcross.org/news/article/7-fire-safety-tips-for-holiday-decorating-and-entertaining

A Thank You to our Summit County Transportation Volunteers

Posted on December 11, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

by Bev Snyder, Transportation Coordinator

Thank you.

As I reflect on the past 4 years of working with an amazing team of volunteers to provide free transportation to all residents in Summit County, I realize that I have made a lot of great friends.

This team is made up of the most caring, and compassionate people I have encountered in my 33-years of working with the Red Cross. You have worked on days that were miserably cold and snowy, days that were hot and humid and never complained. I just want to say thank you for letting me be a part of this team, and thank each and every one on the team for all that you have done.

Canton Area Couple Creates Safer Neighborhoods

Posted on December 7, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Install Hundreds of Smoke Alarms in Fewer Than Three Months

Dick and Earlene Kincaid have been American Red Cross volunteers for nearly eight years. They have responded to hurricanes, tornadoes and floods in Texas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Alabama as members of the Red Cross National Disaster Action Team, providing hot meals and comfort to thousands of people made suddenly homeless by extreme weather.

But the work they’ve done this fall in their own backyard has made the biggest impact in the lives of their neighbors.

The Kincaids have single-handedly installed more than 750 smoke alarms in homes in the Stark County and Muskingum Lakes Chapter since October. This October. In just over two months time, Dick and Earlene are responsible for achieving more than half the total annual goal of the entire Chapter.

Dick wields the drill and installs the alarms while Earlene provides valuable fire safety information to residents. She said, “Most of these people don’t have working smoke alarms, or they don’t have any at all.” The Kincaids work mostly on weekends, when people are more likely to be home. They spend about 15 minutes in each home, installing alarms on each floor. And they average about 100 installations a week.

Earlene and Dick Kincaid, with their rescue dog Heidi.

The Kincaids replaced this 1950’s-era smoke alarm

The wind-up crank on the back of this 1950’s-era smoke alarm

The lead insert had to melt to trigger the alarm

Photo credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

Not bad for a couple who survived a motorcycle crash in 2007.

“I flew like a bird, but my landing sucked,” Dick says with a grin. Earlene says she rolled better, suffering only a broken shoulder and some scrapes. Dick says he spent 18 days at the Cleveland Clinic, undergoing 5 surgeries to save his leg, and spent another 9 months in a hospital bed in the living room of their Tuscarawas County home.

Dick retired from Timken as a steelworker that same year. Once he got back on his feet, Dick and Earlene Kincaid began their careers as Red Cross volunteers, responding to national disasters and local home fires. But their Operation Save-A-Life efforts are taking up most of their volunteer time now.

“We’ve had people who have had three little kids in a trailer home, and no smoke alarms. They burn so fast,” Dick says. ” If we can save any lives at all, that’s good enough.”

Festival of Trees Draws Hundreds, Generates Thousands

Posted on December 3, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Fundraiser Benefits American Red Cross Disaster Relief

The 25th Annual Festival of Trees drew hundreds of people to the Shisler Conference Center on the campus of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in Wooster on December 1.

Beautiful holiday trees, wreaths and centerpieces decorated by local artisans and supporters of the Red Cross were auctioned off during spirited live bidding.

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Silent bidders purchased gift packages and unique artwork as well.

: Chris Davis, Chairperson, Lake Erie/Heartland Chapter Board of Directors

Photo credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

“The generosity of the Wayne County community is overwhelming,” said Chris Davis, Chairperson of the Board of Director for the American Red Cross Lake Erie/Heartland Chapter. “The Festival of Trees raises funds for Red Cross Disaster Relief, and we surpassed our goal! We are so grateful to our dedicated volunteers and generous donors.”

If you missed this year’s Festival, be sure to keep it in mind for next year. As board chair Chris Davis puts it, “It’s the perfect way to kick-off the holiday season in Wayne County.”

Give With Meaning

Posted on December 1, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Giving Tuesday. It’s a call to donate to a meaningful cause as the holiday season gets underway. And there’s no more meaningful cause than the American Red Cross, for a variety of reasons.

Most people associate the Red Cross with blood, and for good reason. The Red Cross collects and processes more than 40% of the nation’s blood supply.

Red Cross workers also respond to nearly 70,000 disasters a year, the vast majority of them house fires. People suddenly faced with a crisis get help with immediate needs, like food and lodging, and longer-term assistance, such as mental health services and referrals to other agencies.

In an effort to prevent fire fatalities, the Red Cross and its partners install smoke alarms in homes, at no cost to the residents.

CPR/AED, lifeguarding and babysitting training are among the health and safety programs offered by the Red Cross, to help individuals effectively respond to emergencies.

The Red Cross also helps keep members of the military connected with their loved ones back home. It’s just one of the Services to Armed Forces offered.

Your donation to the American Red Cross on Giving Tuesday, and at any time can help in so many ways. Visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

**Please note, our window for collecting Holiday Mail for Heroes for the 2015 season is closed so that we may sort through the cards and deliver them. Please mark your calendars for November 2016 if you wish to participate in the program.

Thanksgiving Message from CEO Mike Parks, With Thanks to Plain Dealer Columnist Regina Brett

Posted on November 25, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Volunteers from Lincoln Electric and Euclid Fire joined Red Cross volunteers and staff this summer to make a neighborhood safer Photo credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

Mike Parks, CEO of the American Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region saw this column, written by Regina Brett in last Sunday’s Plain Dealer and was inspired to share the following with Red Cross staff and volunteers:

“I thought Regina did a remarkable job of capturing the importance of the holiday we celebrate this week. I intend to share it with those gathered around our Thanksgiving table this year and felt moved to share it with all of you as well.

“Please accept my heartfelt thanks-not just this week-but throughout the year, for all you do to help prevent and alleviate human suffering throughout Northeast Ohio.

“I wish all of you a blessed and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

“Best regards…Mike”

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region