Stay safe and look out for one another in extreme heat

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By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

July 30, 2014. City of Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation, South Carolina. Julieth Martinez, 4, enjoying her swim lesson as part of the Centennial campaign. Photo by Connie Harvey/American Red Cross

I first saw the effects of heat stroke when I was 10. I was at a day camp for the first time. Decades later, I vaguely recall activities, canoes, a lake and even the heat. But I clearly remember seeing the fellow camper stumble, vomit and pass out. Counselors carried him inside and put him on a table, getting water and ice. The rest of us followed, worried, overhearing frantic conversations. Once inside, someone put on a movie to calm us, but I think we all knew he was in trouble and an ambulance was on the way. My memory becomes fuzzy after that. A darkened room, an ignored movie, a child my age prone on a table, teenagers tossing ice and water on him until the EMTs arrived, quickly giving treatment and taking him away. I saw him a few weeks later at another event, recovering.

As much as we enjoy summer and especially being active, heat can be dangerous, even life-threatening. In fact, the last several years have seen excessive heat cause more fatalities than all other weather events. Climate change is also making extreme heat events more frequent and severe, even here in Northern Ohio.

For a medical professional’s perspective on heat safety for our region, I reached out to Patricia Horvath, a registered nurse and American Red Cross volunteer regional nurse lead for Northern Ohio. Patricia explained, “a heat wave is more than 48 hours of high heat (90°F or higher) when high humidity (80 percent relative humidity or higher) is expected.”

Patricia Horvath, Regional Volunteer Nurse Lead

“For us in Northern Ohio, the uptick in heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion are often seen around local family fun runs, sports camps for kids and pre-season athletic training for high school kids during heat waves,” she said. “I’ve also experienced it at outdoor family reunions when seniors rapidly became dehydrated in the sun.

“The saddest and most devasting situation I have seen is the death of a child—left or forgotten—in a hot parked car,” she continued. “After an hour, the average in-car temperature is 43 degrees higher than the outdoor temperature. After 90 minutes, this rises to 48 degrees higher. Therefore, when it’s 90 degrees outside, it could reach an incredible 138 degrees in your parked car. That’s hotter than any outdoor temperature ever recorded on Earth! Parents, grandparents and caregivers need to establish memory hooks as a routine to be sure to check for the little ones in car seats before leaving. It’s easy to get distracted or absentminded these days. Unfortunately, this also occurs often with pets. If you see a child in a parked car alone on a hot day even with windows cracked, say something and get help. Minutes matter.”

Patricia also spoke of the importance of community. “Like most things in a community, it’s those who live there who look out for each other that makes it healthy and safe. With heat waves, communities in Northern Ohio now will open free access to designated ‘cooling centers’ for residents, such as recreational centers, libraries and community centers. Check on your vulnerable elderly neighbors to be sure they have access to air-conditioning. Invite them to your house or give them a ride to a cooling center for the day. I have had air conditioning parties for my neighbors and friends during heat waves. Growing up, this is something my parents used to do when AC in private homes was more of a luxury.”

Patricia’s general advice to stay safe is:

  • Be aware of the predicted heat and humidity for the day.
  • Keep hydrated even if you are not thirsty.
  • Keep cool, stay indoors or in the shade and, minimize exercise/activity.
  • Check in with kids and the elderly to keep them safe too.
  • Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

More information is available on the Red Cross heat safety page and the free Emergency App.

You can also see recent articles on summer road trip preparation, water safety, and severe weather safety.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer.

Raising awareness in Akron for patients with sickle cell disease

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When patients living with sickle cell disease face a sickle cell crisis, blood transfusions can make a lifesaving difference. That’s why the Akron National Panhellenic Council partnered recently with the American Red Cross to grow the number of blood donors who are Black to help patients with sickle cell disease, the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S.

28 donations were collected at the Akron NPHC blood drive on Saturday, June 23, to help raise awareness for patients living with the disease. Nine sororities and fraternities took park in the drive.

Jasina Chapman, first-time blood donor and organizer of the Akron NPHC blood drive for sickle cell awareness

“We mobilized all of our groups to get them to either donate or volunteer,” said Jasina Chapman, who donated blood for the first time at the drive. As the Community Service Chairperson for the Eta Delta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and the Akron NPHC, she helped organize the blood drive.

“We are African American leaders in our community,” she said. “We need to activate African Americans to donate blood.”

More than 100,000 people live with sickle cell disease nationwide, and the majority of patients are of African descent. The disease distorts soft, round blood cells and turns them hard and crescent-shaped, which can cause extreme pain. When hardened, the cells can get caught in blood vessels, potentially leading to stroke and organ failure. Blood transfusions are often used in treatment, and many individuals who are Black have distinct markers on their red blood cells that make their blood donations the most compatible match for helping patients with sickle cell disease. One in three African American blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease.

Christa Nuru, one of 28 donors at the Akron NPHC blood drive

How to donate blood:
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass ® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

World Sickle Cell Day

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By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross Volunteer

What do Juneteenth (today) and World Sickle Cell Day (also today) have in common? Both of these events focus on African Americans.

Glinda Dames-Fincher is a member of the American Red Cross Sickle Cell Sub-committee in northern Ohio. She’s a proud, outspoken “sickle cell warrior” calling for more Black blood donors.

Glinda Dames-Fincher

“Over 80 percent of Americans with Sickle Cell Anemia are of African descent, and ethnicity matters with blood transfusion,” she said. Many individuals who are Black have unique structures on their red blood cells that make their donations the most compatible to help patients with sickle cell disease. Glinda likes to think of it as “special sauce.”

“So please, African Americans, roll up your sleeves and help sickle cell warriors like me fight their battle!”

For Glinda, the need is personal. In order to combat the many effects of sickle cell (SCD) on her body, she gets two units of red blood cells every month; the procedure involves withdrawing one unit of her damaged blood each time and then transfusing in two units of healthy red cells.

She figures she’s received more than 600 units of red cells, between regular transfusions and the many surgeries she’s undergone to repair organs damaged by oxygen deprivation.

Glinda is a wealth of knowledge about sickle cell:

 This inherited disorder makes red blood cells sticky, rigid and curl into a C “sickle” shape, limiting their ability to carry oxygen into every tissue in the body. The misshapen cells also tend to clump, leading to various complications. “For many pediatrics, a stroke is their first major sickle cell event,” she said.

 When tissues are starved of oxygen, something as simple as a change in the weather can trigger excruciating pain – called a sickle cell crisis – lasting from hours to days or even weeks. That often sends sickle cell sufferers to emergency rooms for treatment, including pain killers and blood transfusions.

 Sickled red blood cells also die prematurely: The distorted cells die within 10 to 20 days, compared to normal red blood cells that typically last 100 to 120 days. That leads to a shortage of red blood cells, a type of anemia. Here again, transfusions are crucial.

 Glinda is 64. “When I was born, life expectancy for a sickle cell patient was 18 years. Now it’s 40 to 60 years, thanks to medications and research,” she said. However, over time, patients may be subject to persistent infections, and damage to kidneys, heart, lungs and other organs.

 SCD affects more than 100,000 people in the United States. Eight out of 10 of them are of African descent; the rest are Hispanic or trace their ancestry to south Asia (such as India), southern Europe (Greece and Italy) or the Middle East (such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon).

 SCD testing is part of the routine blood tests for newborns in the United States. Additionally, the Red Cross provides sickle cell trait testing for all blood donors who identify themselves as Black or African American. Those with the “trait” inherited a sickle cell gene from one parent; those who got a sickle cell gene from both parents are born with the disease.

Since the best blood match for a patient receiving ongoing transfusions comes from donors of the same genetic background, the Red Cross is urging people of all ethnicities to give blood and help increase the number of diverse donors, so we can find the best match for all patients.

Watch this video that documents Glinda’s ongoing struggle with sickle cell disease.

In honor of Juneteenth, learn more about SCD and please make an appointment to donate blood at RedCrossBlood.org/SickleCell.

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

Why am I a blood donor? Why not?

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A dedicated donor reflects on World Blood Donor Day

By Doug Bardwell, American Red Cross volunteer

As I was asked to write this article, I tried to remember back when I made my first donation, some 56 units and 26 years ago. At the time, I was working in Terminal Tower, and I decided to give when a co- worker said something as simple as, “Hey, I’m going over to donate blood. Want to come along?”

Doug Bardwell

I’m sure I asked about qualifications, but he assured me that they’d give me a quick physical check and make sure I was able to donate. That’s all it took, and I was on my way to becoming a blood donor. “Why not?”


The blood donor center was set up in an unoccupied office space in Tower City Center. I was actually amazed at how quick it was to make my donation. No drama, just a pint of blood lighter when I left and a sticker to show I had donated.

Outta sight – outta mind

Nobody asked again until 2003, right after the Invasion of Iraq. While having a discussion about the war with a friend, he said that he had heard someone saying the only thing we could do to help our troops was to donate blood or donate money.

With a growing family, I had more of the former than the latter, so I checked around to see where and when the closest donation site would be opening. Donation number two was scheduled, but this time, someone at the Red Cross site asked about how often I donated. They made mention of the idea of donating around Christmas each year as a way to give someone else a gift that might save a life but cost me nothing. That sounded like a great idea, so I put a yearly note on my Day-Timer calendar for each December.

You can do more, you know?

It was another conversation with a Red Cross worker that finally spurred me to do more when they said, “You know, you can donate every eight weeks, don’t you?” Well, no, I guess I didn’t, but that started it rolling, trying to donate as frequently as my schedule would permit.

I also realized at that time that if I hadn’t been asked by someone else to go the first time, I might have never donated at all. I then started talking about donations to family members and other friends.

I do the coming events A/V screens in our church’s foyer and lobby, so I started making sure that all upcoming blood drives were advertised on our screens each time they were scheduled. Posting on social media, I’d mention the date and time with a “Won’t you join me next Tuesday?” type message.

So, I’ll end with the same message that started me – “Hey, want to come along?” There are dozens of locations available each week. It’s honestly easy to do, and you could save as many as three lives each time you donate.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Learn how to save a life during National CPR + AED Week

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The basketball referee crumbled to the floor of the court, lifeless. The game between the Glass City Wranglers of Toledo and the Jamestown Jackals of New York came to an abrupt halt, as players and spectators wondered what was wrong.

Myles Copeland did not wait.

Myles Copeland – Toledo Firefighter

Myles is a Toledo firefighter – and was playing with the Wranglers during his off hours when referee John Scully suffered cardiac arrest – something Myles was trained to treat. He immediately began CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, performing chest compressions while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel, and that likely saved John’s life.

Myles Copeland won an Acts of Courage award from the American Red Cross of Western Lake Erie for his swift intervention, as did Lt. Jim Schulty, also with the Toledo Fire Department. Jim performed CPR on a fellow hockey player after his heart stopped beating and is also credited with saving a life.

These are just two examples of the value of knowing how to perform CPR, and there’s no better time to highlight these stores, as National CPR + AED Awareness week begins today. And while Myles and Jim are professional firefighters and have had on-the-job training, anyone can be trained to help save lives with CPR and an AED.

More than 350,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest annually, but only 9% survive.

Every second counts when responding to a cardiac arrest. If you see someone suddenly collapse, call 911, send someone for the AED and begin CPR. 

Nicole and Lindsey Bechter

That’s what Lindsey and Nicole Bechter did while they were serving as referees at a volleyball court in Cuyahoga Falls last summer. A player collapsed, and the sisters took turns performing CPR until the ambulance arrived.

Even if you aren’t trained, doing chest compressions (pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest) is better than doing nothing. It’s what Jim Kuhn did. The bus driver for the city of Wadsworth helped keep a passenger alive by pushing down on the man’s chest after he collapsed when trying to board the bus last November. For their lifesaving actions, Jim, Lindsey and Nicole received Acts of Courage awards from the Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley.

Acts of Courage award winner Jim Kuhn, center, with board member Ryan Lang, left, and committee chair Tara Silva, right.

You can get trained by visiting redcross.org/take-a-class. At the very least, learn how to perform hands- only CPR.

Every second counts in cardiac arrest. If you see someone collapse without warning, know your  “Cardiac Arrest 1‐2‐3.”

  1. Call 9‐1‐1 and get the AED 
  2. Start CPR 
  3. Use an AED

CPRSavesLives

Edited and posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Stay safe this summer: Readying yourself for a road trip

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By Doug Bardwell, American Red Cross volunteer

With summer approaching, our family’s favorite activity is taking road trips. We are so blessed to be in Northern Ohio since we can find awesome destinations no matter which direction we head.

However, despite all the choices, the one thing I’ve learned is that you need to be prepared for emergencies. The “it won’t happen to me” syndrome is a risky one, and who needs the guilt of knowing better but not taking precautions?

Getting ready

I’m a nut for lists. For years, I’ve been using spreadsheets (either Excel or Google Sheets). I’ll make a master list, and at the end of each trip, I’ll add whatever items that we should have taken. Then when the next road trip comes up, we won’t forget that item a second time. I’ve been keeping them for years, and my lists cover just about anything we could need. We don’t take every item on every trip by any means but at least we forget very, very little.

One item we always pack, and fortunately have only needed a few times, is a First Aid kit. I’ve actually got multiple ones that vary in size for my bike bag, my backpack and the car. While I’ve been a pretty safe person, there have been numerous times we’ve been able to come to the rescue of others, who weren’t quite so prepared.

Another lesson I learned in an American Red Cross Safe Driving course is to adjust your rearview mirrors out farther than most people do. Basically, while sitting behind the steering wheel, lean as far left as comfortable, and then set your left rearview mirror so you can just barely see the left fender of your car. Then lean right as far as comfortable and set your right mirror the same way. That radically improves your chances of not hitting someone in your blind spot. I know it’s saved me at least four times.

Lastly, get enough sleep before you set out on a long road trip. When I haven’t done that, the instant I feel myself getting drowsy, I’ll find a place to pull over and try to take a quick nap. I set my alarm on my watch for 15 minutes, and that’s a perfect time to be refreshed enough to drive another couple of hours. Any longer than 15 minutes is too long (strange sleep science).

For more information

The American Red Cross just issued a 20 Steps to Help You Stay Safe this Summer article for road trips, swimming, backyard grilling and camping. Item number 18 is definitely one that could save your life. Then enroll in a Red Cross first aid and CPR/AED course, either online or in person.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross Board Member and volunteer

On behalf of a grateful nation – Mike’s Memorial Day message

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By Mike Parks, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.), Regional CEO, American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region

Next Monday, as we celebrate Memorial Day, we will honor those men and women of our Armed Forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy our everyday freedoms.  As I was reflecting on this special day, I recalled my recent attendance earlier this month at the funeral of a dear Coast Guard friend of over 40 years.  The funeral, replete with military honors, included a gun salute, the playing of “Taps”, the ceremonial folding of the American flag, and the presentation of “the colors” to the family. 

I don’t know about you, but every time I hear those 24 somber notes of “Taps” played, I feel my emotions well up inside me.  “Taps” is not a song but a bugle call.  Although there are no official associated lyrics, Horace Lorenzo Trim is often credited with a set of words intended to accompany the music.  Here are just the first of his five stanzas:

“Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.”

Yes, I found myself wiping away tears as the last note was played.  After “Taps” was finished, two members of the Coast Guard Honor Guard approached the casket to begin the ceremonial folding of the American flag, which had been carefully draped over the casket so the union blue field was at the head and over the left shoulder of my friend.  With exacting precision, these two young servicemembers carefully folded the flag into the symbolic tri-cornered shape, representing the three-sided hats worn by our troops during the Revolutionary War.  Our nation’s “colors” were folded 13 times on the triangles, representing the 13 original colonies. 

Annual Memorial Day Ceremony, Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery

Having personally performed this important ritual in my career, I can attest to the solemnity of the event.  It struck me as I stood at attention, that this ceremony is conducted by every service of the Armed Forces numerous times throughout our country every single day in tribute to the fallen and in support of their loved ones.  The words “…On behalf of a grateful nation…” must never be taken for granted as we take a few moments out of our busy lives to remember and thank those who have given their all so that we may live in freedom—it’s the least we can do.  This Memorial Day, let us all take time to remember those who have gone before us and those who have received the American flag “…On behalf of a grateful nation.”    

Once the flag was perfectly folded, it was given by the Honor Guard to the senior Coast Guard officer to present to the next-of-kin, in this case my friend’s lovely wife of 44 years.  She was surrounded by her six grown children as the officer knelt to present her with the folded American flag as a keepsake.  He then said to her, “On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Coast Guard, and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”

Having personally performed this important ritual in my career, I can attest to the solemnity of the event.  It struck me as I stood at attention, that this ceremony is conducted by every service of the Armed Forces numerous times throughout our country every single day in tribute to the fallen and in support of their loved ones.  The words “…On behalf of a grateful nation…” must never be taken for granted as we take a few moments out of our busy lives to remember and thank those who have given their all so that we may live in freedom—it’s the least we can do.  This Memorial Day, let us all take time to remember those who have gone before us and those who have received the American flag “…On behalf of a grateful nation.”    Best regards…Mike 

Sound the Alarm campaign installs more than 1,500 free smoke alarms in Northern Ohio

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When people think of the American Red Cross responding to disasters, they often imagine the aftermath of a massive hurricane or deadly tornado. Trees uprooted and tossed aside, homes with missing roofs or destroyed by floodwaters. But it’s not the large-scale disasters that keep Red Cross volunteers busy day in and day out. Home fires are the most frequent disaster in the country, claiming seven lives every day in the U.S. In Northern Ohio, the Red Cross responds to more than three home fires, on average, every 24 hours.

As part of the national Sound the Alarm campaign, Red Cross staff, volunteers and community partners set aside specific weeks throughout the year to focus on educating residents about home fire safety and installing free smoke alarms where they are needed. From April 22 to May 12 staff and volunteers in northern Ohio, in partnership with local fire departments, held Sound the Alarm events in 11 communities across the region. They included:

  • Sandusky
  • Uhrichsville
  • Cleveland
  • Medina
  • Hubbard
  • Warrensville
  • Toledo
  • Findlay
  • Henry County
  • Newcomerstown
  • Willoughby Hills

During these events, volunteers met with local families to install free smoke alarms, helped them create a two-minute fire escape plan and shared safety information on home fires and other local disaster risks. In Northern Ohio, more than 600 homes were made safer, with over 1,500 smoke alarms installed.

For those who do have smoke alarms, the Red Cross recommends testing smoke alarms each month and practicing your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes. It’s also important to teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do in an emergency.

While certain weeks of the year are designated as Sound the Alarm events, the Red Cross is working every day to help prepare communities for disasters like home fires.  If you or someone you know needs smoke alarms, visit the Sound the Alarm page to find out how to request an appointment with one of our teams. You can partner with the Red Cross and donate to this lifesaving work. Without the financial support of generous donors, the Sound the Alarm campaign would not be possible.

Check out more photos from our Sound the Alarm events on Flickr. Thank you to everyone who joined us this year and we look forward to seeing you all again soon at a Sound the Alarm event near you!

Water safety depends on swimming, lifesaving skills

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May 15 is International Water Safety Day

By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross Volunteer

Those of us who live in northern Ohio are never very far from water: Lake Erie, swimming pools, ponds, reservoirs and rivers. Even water parks, hot tubs and spas.

All that water offers lots of opportunities for fun, but it also poses a very real – sometimes tragic – hazard.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 4,000 people die of drowning every year in the United States. To put a finer point on it, drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death of children age 1 to 4.

The Bennett family of University Heights came harrowingly close to those statistics earlier this year. While on vacation, their four-year-old found her way into a backyard pool and was discovered unconscious at the bottom.

Fortunately, her 15-year-old sister, Ayala, had completed an American Red Cross lifeguarding, first aid and CPR course just two weeks earlier. She was able to perform CPR until medical help arrived and the little girl recovered.

Ayala Bennett, flanked by her father Josh and mother Raizel

For her lifesaving action, Ayala received the Red Cross Certificate of Merit, the highest award given by the Red Cross to people who save or sustain a life using skills learned in a Red Cross course. The Red Cross also recognized Shira Goldsmith of Goldsmith Swim School, who taught Ayala’s lifesaving class. “It made me feel so good, that she was able to save her sister,” Shira said. “It made me think, this is why I do what I do.”

Shira was just a teenager herself when she realized there weren’t enough lifeguards to safely supervise children in backyard pools in her neighborhood, so she got trained. “I did my first rescue at 15,” she recalled. She’ll never forget the rush of adrenaline and the overwhelming relief of success.

Shira Goldsmith, Goldsmith Swim School

Passionate about water safety, Shira teaches swimming as well as lifeguarding, first aid and CPR as a high school elective. She also has many students with special needs, African Americans and members of her Jewish faith.

“Even if you don’t know how to swim, learn CPR,” she emphasized. “You never know.”

The Red Cross certifies trainers like Shira as part of its mission to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

As we mark International Water Safety Day, the Red Cross offers these reminders:
 Learn to swim competently and be sure your children do too! Go to RedCross.org/TakeAClass
 Swim as a pair near a lifeguard’s chair. Never swim alone.
 Reach or throw, don’t go. Don’t enter the water to rescue someone unless you’re trained.
 Look before you leap. Be sure it’s a safe place and time to swim.
 Follow the rules. Listen to the lifeguards.
 Don’t just pack it. Wear that life jacket.
 Think so you don’t sink. Floating or treading water can help you make good decisions.
 Don’t fool with a pool or spa: Fence it with self-latching gates.
 Download the American Red Cross Swim app for more tips and tools for water safety for the whole family.

The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Committed to helping those who serve

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May is Military Appreciation Month

By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

As American Red Cross volunteers and staff members, we have been honored to work alongside several veterans, some of whom we have had the honor of featuring on this blog. In addition to the values of service, commitment, and being part of an effective team, they speak of the importance of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF). SAF has been vital during their military careers and as veterans, often leading them to join the Red Cross themselves.

Contributing authors and those profiled include Cynthia Skidmore, Brinton Lincoln, Chiane Martin, Dave Riegler, Brook Harless, Sally Falasca, Paul Svasta and of course the CEO of the American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region and Rear Admiral, US Coast Guard (Retired), Mike Parks.

May is Military Appreciation Month and May 20th is Armed Forces Day. The Red Cross has been committed to assisting military members, veterans, and their families since its inception in 1881. Services include emergency financial assistance, counseling, and support for veterans.

One of the most important roles is providing emergency communication services. Whether a natural disaster, family illness, or other crises, members of the Red Cross help connect military families. Speaking personally as a member of an extended military family, I have often seen the effectiveness of these services in bringing relatives home when needed.

Pre-deployment event at Youngstown Air Reserve Station

Military families receive support to help cope with the challenges of military life, such as frequent moves, deployments, and separations. One very popular program is animal visitation.

Additional Red Cross services help improve the well-being of service members, veterans, and military families. These include reconnection workshops to help adjust to post-deployment life, and military hospital programs to provide comfort and support to wounded service members and their families.

For Military Appreciation Month, please join us in thanking military members, veterans, and military families for their service. Please also consider helping support them through volunteering with the Red Cross or providing a donation.

SAF volunteer roles include:

  • Delivering critical emergency messages through the Red Cross Hero Care Network.
  • For both medical and non-medical volunteers, providing patient comfort and care for injured service members and their families.
  • For mental health professionals, leading free resiliency workshops for military families in need.

You can get more information about how you can volunteer to help members of the military, veterans and their families here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer