Volunteer Profile: Megan and Tanya Williams

Posted on April 16, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Volunteers Ensure American Red Cross Lifesaving Mission Continues

By Christy Peters, External Communications Manager, Biomedical Services

April is National Volunteer Month, the perfect time to recognize all those individuals who help carry out the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross, not only as blood and platelet donors, but as blood drive volunteers. Every day, at blood drives across Northern Ohio, dedicated volunteers greet and register blood donors, serve as donor escorts and manage the blood drive refreshment area. These volunteers are vital in making blood drives successful and ensuring patients receive the lifesaving blood products they need.

Megan and Tanya Williams

Megan Williams began volunteering with the Red Cross as a student at Streetsboro High School. She now attends the University of Akron and continues to work with the Red Cross. She volunteers regularly at the Summit Donor Center and every year at the Sheraton Cuyahoga Falls Holiday Blood Drive. Megan even got her mom Tanya involved and now, volunteering at the Sheraton Blood Drive is something they do, together, every year. Megan says she enjoys helping out and the Red Cross is thankful for her dedication!

In addition to volunteering at blood drives, the Red Cross is always looking for more blood and platelet donors. Volunteer donors are the only source of blood products for those in need of transfusions. Donating is a simple way for those who are short on time to make a life-changing difference.

The Red Cross is hosting its annual Hometown Hero Blood Drive tomorrow at Aloft Cleveland Downtown on the East Bank of the Flats. Come to donate and enjoy a 98.5 WNCX live broadcast all day with Bill Louis and Michael Stanley, free goody bag with gifts from sponsors, complimentary parking and food.

Use the Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter code “WNCX” or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule your appointment for the Hometown Hero Blood Drive today! To learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross visit RedCross.org/neo and click “Volunteer.”

Volunteers – The Lifeblood of the Red Cross

Posted on April 15, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

National Volunteer Week – Spotlighting Red Cross Volunteers: Pam Williams

By Pat Kunklier, Red Cross Board Member and Communications Volunteer

Volunteers help neighbors in need and carry out more than 90 percent of the humanitarian work of the American Red Cross.

Pam

Pam Williams, a Red Cross national disaster volunteer and chairperson of the board of trustees of the Red Cross of Summit, Portage and Medina Counties, said that at national disasters “we are seeing the country at its worst, but people at their best.”

Pam cited a mother who had just lost everything she owned in a flood, staying in a shelter and with no idea where the next home might be for her and her family. But this mother pointed across the room to another group of people and asked that they be helped first because “they can use the help more.”

Pam said, “When I see this kind of spirit it puts a lot of things in perspective.”

She added, “If we can do anything to make the situation even a little less stressful, frightening, hopeless for people who really are having the worst days of their lives, how can we not feel blessed to have been given the opportunity.”

Pam at SPM Annual Meeting and Vol Recognition (12)

If you’re not already a Red Cross volunteer, please:

Volunteer at local or national fires, floods and other disasters. Disaster volunteers provide comfort and care, using Red Cross resources to help victims with food, clothing, shelter and more. Red Cross provides volunteer disaster training.
Become a health and safety instructor. With Red Cross training, you could teach CPR and other life-saving skills.
Donate blood. Save lives with your blood donation.

To volunteer, please complete an application at redcross.org/neo. Visit the “Volunteer” link. You’ll first be asked to create a Red Cross ID.

Thank you for your generosity.

#GiveMoreLife at the Annual WNCX Hometown Hero Blood Drive

Posted on April 11, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Formerly Known as The Bloodsuckers Buffet

By Christy Peters, External Communications Manager, Biomedical Services

Heroes come in all types! Join the American Red Cross, 98.5 WNCX and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center for the Hometown Hero Blood Drive next Tuesday, April 17, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Aloft Cleveland Downtown on the East Bank of the Flats. Formerly Bloodsuckers Buffet, the Hometown Hero Blood Drive is an annual event that helps ensure patients in over 50 local hospitals receive the blood products they need.

Come to donate and enjoy a 98.5 WNCX live broadcast all day with Bill Louis and Michael Stanley, free goody bag with gifts from sponsors, complimentary parking and food. During National Volunteer Month in April, the Red Cross celebrates the contributions of its volunteers and asks people to become blood donors. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood and the Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 units of blood each day. Volunteer donors are the only source of blood and platelets for those in need of transfusions. There is no artificial substitute for blood.

Red Cross blood donor Richard Privera

Red Cross blood donor Mary Gosling

From the 2017 Hometown Hero Blood Drive
Photo Credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

Blood donors are part of an elite group that helps save lives. Only about 3 percent of the total U.S. population donates blood each year. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all need blood.

Use the Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter code “WNCX” or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule your appointment for the Hometown Hero Blood Drive today!

Thousands in NEO are Now More Prepared

Posted on April 10, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

About 9,000 residents of Northeast Ohio now have a better idea about how to prepare for emergencies. And many of them also have new emergency first aid kits, thanks to our partners at Dominion Energy and the dozens of volunteers who helped distribute the information and the free kits on Saturday, April 7, 2018.

Shoppers at various malls and Walmart stores in Northeast Ohio were given a quiz, to test their preparedness knowledge. They were quizzed on such topics as the lifespan of smoke alarms (10 years), the national “Call Before You Dig” phone number (811), and the most common cause of home fires (cooking.)

“Dominion Energy Ohio is proud to participate in another successful Preparedness Day with our partners in safety at the American Red Cross,” notes Jim Eck, vice president and general manager, Ohio and West Virginia Distribution. “We remind our customers and the general public that safety at home and at work requires daily vigilance and effort.”

“We are grateful for the help we get from Dominion Energy with Preparedness Day every year,” said John Gareis, Red Cross Regional Preparedness Manager. “Our partnership has helped educate tens of thousands of people over the past several years, making them Red Cross ready.”

Nearly 4,000 Emergency First Aid kits were distributed to people who took the time to take the preparedness quiz. You can purchase first aid kits and other emergency supplies at the Red Cross store.

And here you can see a photo album of our volunteers at work on Preparedness Day, 2018.

Overconfident and Underprepared

Posted on April 6, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

New Red Cross Survey Shows Many Americans Mistaken About Home Fire Safety

According to a new survey by the American Red Cross, many people overestimate their ability to react to a home fire and miss critical steps to keep their loved ones safe.

In fact, 40 percent of people believe they are more likely to win the lottery or get struck by lightning than experience a home fire. Yet, home fires are the most common disaster people face in this country – the majority of the nearly 64,000 disasters the Red Cross responds to every year.

“Every day seven people in this country die in a home fire and another 36 people are hurt,” reports Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern. “To address this crisis, we’re bringing together thousands of community partners and volunteers to Sound the Alarm about home fire safety and help save lives. We’ve already installed more than 1.1 million smoke alarms, but our work will continue across the country, because many families are still underprepared when it comes to home fire safety.”

This spring, the Red Cross will Sound the Alarm through a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in more than 100 high-risk communities in the United States, including Cleveland and Akron. In just 16 days – from April 28 to May 13 – volunteers and partners will install 100,000 free smoke alarms across the country. Volunteers are needed, learn more by visiting SoundTheAlarm.org/neo.

MANY PEOPLE MISTAKEN ABOUT HOME FIRE FACTS

The Red Cross survey found that many Americans have a false sense of security about their family’s ability to escape a home fire. More than three-fourths (80 percent) of people surveyed believe everyone in their household knows what to do when a smoke alarm goes off. But less than half of those surveyed have a home fire escape plan in place. And only half of the families that do have a plan have actually practiced it.

Home fire experts say that people have as little as two minutes to escape a burning home. However, the survey showed nearly 60 percent of people mistakenly believe they have much more time than is realistic.

MORE SURVEY RESULTS Even though many Americans admit to actions that could contribute to a home fire, only one out of four (27 percent) think that they are likely to experience a home fire in their lifetime. For example, about 40 percent of people have forgotten to turn off a stove or oven, even though cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. And, more than one-third (34 percent) of people have used a stove, kerosene lantern or space heater to warm their home. The fact is that heating equipment is involved in one of every five home fire deaths.

The survey does show that some progress is being made. More people are replacing batteries (a 9 percent increase vs. 2015) and testing to make sure their smoke alarms are working (an 11 percent increase vs. 2015). But there is still have a long way to go to make sure everyone is prepared for home fires.

Americans overwhelmingly believe that smoke alarms can save lives, yet one out of ten (12 percent) people have had to give up buying other essentials for their families to purchase one. These findings highlight just how critical the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign is in communities across the country. Launched in 2014 to save lives and help end home fire tragedies, the Red Cross and its partners have already installed more than 1.1 million free smoke alarms and reached 1 million children through preparedness programs. These efforts are already credited with helping to save 381 lives. Learn more.

This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from national partners: Almost Family, Delta Air Lines and International Paper. The Red Cross has also received funding from FEMA through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

Join the Red Cross today by volunteering to install smoke alarms in your community, making a financial contribution, or taking steps to protect your own family from home fires. Together, we can Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives. Learn more at soundthealarm.org/neo.

Supplemental Information about Survey Methodology

The national public opinion survey was conducted for the Red Cross in August 2017 using the research firm Issues & Answers. The study was conducted among a national sample of 604 American adults. The total sample is balanced to be representative of the US adult population in terms of age, sex, geographic region, race and education. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 4 percent.

First Aid for Fido and Friskie

Posted on April 2, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Pippa_CatDogFirstAid (002)

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month. It’s the perfect time for pet lovers to take the American Red Cross Cat and Dog First Aid online course and download the Pet First Aid App.

“All pet owners, pet-sitters and dog walkers should know what to do in an emergency until veterinary care is available,” said Deborah C. Mandell, VMD, DACVECC, member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, and professor at Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “The Red Cross Cat and Dog First Aid online course and the Pet First Aid App are both easy and convenient ways to learn life-saving skills.”

Take the course. People can access the course on their desktop or tablet at redcross.org/catdogfirstaid and go through the content at their own pace. It takes approximately 30 minutes to complete the course. Participants can stop and pick up where they left off if Fluffy needs a treat or it’s time to take Fido out to the dog park. The interactive course includes:

How to determine a pet’s normal vital signs so that owners can notice if there are any irregularities;
Step-by-step instructions and visual aids for what to do if a pet is choking, needs CPR, has a wound, or is having a seizure; and
Information on preventative care, health and tips for a pet’s well-being.

Download the app. The free Pet First Aid App provides instant access to expert guidance on how to maintain your pet’s health, what to do in emergencies, and how to include pets in your emergency preparedness plans.

Speedy_CatDogFirstAid (002) The app will also help cat and dog owners keep their pets safe by learning what emergency supplies to have, when they should contact their veterinarian, and where to find a pet care facility or pet-friendly hotel. Users learn how to assemble a pet first aid kit and an emergency kit. Owners have access to step-by-step instructions, videos and images for more than 25 common first aid and emergency situations including how to treat wounds, control bleeding, and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies.

The Pet First Aid App can be downloaded by texting ‘GETPET’ to 90999, by going to redcross.org/apps, or by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in app stores.

Thank You for Giving on Red Cross Giving Day

Posted on March 29, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Your gift means so much.

We reached our Giving Day goal, and will be able to help 28,678 families thanks to the generosity of our donors. This brief video illustrates just a few of the ways your donations will help people when they face emergencies like home fires, hurricanes and flooding.

Just this week, disaster workers responded to the Rainbow Terrace apartment building fire in Cleveland, where residents from 30 units were forced to flee before dawn on Monday, March 26. The Red Cross provided more than $8,200 dollars to help 63 residents meet their immediate needs. While many of the residents are being housed in once-vacant apartments throughout the complex, they lost all of their possessions in the fire.

While Giving Day is over, the need for disaster relief is constant. Red Cross workers respond to three home fires every 24 hours, on average, in Northeast Ohio. The need for volunteers to assist people in their darkest hours is constant, too. To learn more about volunteering, visit redcross.org/neo, and click the Volunteer tab. You can also make a donation to disaster relief, to help people who suffer from disasters, big and small.

Observing a Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Human Rights Workers

Posted on March 25, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Ifat Gazia, American Red Cross Volunteer, Northeast Ohio Region

Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers retrieving dead bodies from the streets of Aleppo. Photo © Syrian Arab Red Crescent/TAYYAR, I.

The Syrian war entered the 8^th year just a week back. This deadly war not only led to a loss of over 350,000 lives in the past seven years, but also the displacement of 5.6 million Syrian people.

More than 60,000 of them have gone missing.

Therefore, this war drew to itself the attention and intervention of international humanitarian organizations, the United Nations, and other human rights defenders from all across the world. But the violence in Syria didn’t spare even these aid workers and peacekeepers who worked for these organizations locally. Many of these aid workers or UN staff members have been either abducted or are missing. Some of these staff members were also the local Syrians. Through 2017 alone, 28 UN staff members have been missing in Syria or have been abducted by different armed gunmen. There are many more missing who work with other aid organizations like the Red Cross/ Red Crescent and ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross).

Wars are always political, but the pain and destruction associated with them is unquestionably personal. Likewise, the pain suffered by the families of these staff members who are missing in Syria and other conflict regions of the world is beyond solace.

Every year, March 25th is recognized as the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members. The commemoration of this day began after the abduction of a UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) journalist Alec Collect in 1985, who was working in the near East for Palestinian refugees. Due to the increasing number of incidents of violence against peacekeepers and aid workers working in different conflict zones all across the world, it has become essential to observe this day.

This day is an international day of solidarity with the families of those who lost their loved ones, and sometimes their only breadwinners. Henceforth, providing a significant reminder every year on this day that measures should be taken to stop the intensified violence against peacekeepers worldwide and stop their enforced disappearances is very critical.

This day is also a reminder for other people who are not directly linked to conflict to work towards world peace. This day is a reminder that wars do no good to anyone. This day is a reminder that it’s a war that creates refugees. It is a war that leads to enforced disappearances and killing. It is because of a war that we lose our loved ones.

Baby Shower Planned for Women Veterans

Posted on March 23, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Anyone Can Contribute a Gift for the Babies of NEO Veterans

By Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

The Tiffany Circle is helping veterans from Northeast Ohio start the circle of life for their yet-to-be-born babies.

Laurie Laidlaw Deacon, Chair of the Tiffany Circle in Northeast Ohio, speaking in a suite at Quicken Loans Arena

The Tiffany Circle, a community of women leaders and philanthropists who advance the Red Cross mission through a focused investment of time, talent and treasure, is hosting a baby shower for female veterans who are currently being served by the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System. Some 50 veteran moms-to-be will receive the gifts purchased through a special account on Amazon.

“We are proud to provide this service to brave women veterans in our area,” said Laurie Laidlaw Deacon, Chair of the Tiffany Circle in the Northeast Ohio Region. “And we appreciate our partnership with the Veteran’s Administration Healthcare System, for helping us identify the women who served our country, and who will soon be caring for a newborn.”

Sue Fuehrer, CEO of the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, and Mike Parks, Regional CEO of the Red Cross

Sue Fuehrer, CEO, Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, said “We at VA are grateful to the Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region, for hosting the Tiffany Circle Baby Shower to support our women veterans and their newborns. Our local Red Cross is always there for our veterans and their families in so many ways, and VA is thankful for their strong support on behalf of our nation’s heroes.”

The baby shower will take place at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center on May 19th. Tiffany Circle member Donna Rae Smith, a member of the Greater Cleveland Board of Directors, and veteran Danielle Krakora of the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System promoted the baby shower on WKYC’s Lakeside Today broadcast on Thursday, May 9.

Members of the Northeast Ohio Tiffany Circle kicked-off the event at Quicken Loans Arena on Monday, March 19, when they gathered to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Milwaukee Bucks.

Northeast Ohio Region Tiffany Circle members Laurie Laidlaw Deacon, Rosemarie Hoover, Kathy Coleman, Donna Rae Smith, and Luci Schey Spring. Photo credit: Jessica Tischler/American Red Cross

The Cavs won, 124-117.

Tiffany Circle members pledged to help local veterans win, too, by supporting the baby shower. If you’d like to buy a gift for the baby shower for expecting veterans, shop here.

The Wake of Maria, Six Months Later

Posted on March 20, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Though it has lost its luster as a headline to news outlets across the continental U.S., the damage done during Hurricane Maria, six months ago today, continues to affect those who have begun to pick up the pieces of their lives on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Clearly, once the churning eye of the storm looked off toward the ocean, the devastating power of mother nature continued to wreak havoc on the islands. Touching not only those affected by the winds and rain of the hurricane herself, but also those who try to continue to build their life day-by-day. Big name stores have shuttered, tourism remains low, and by all accounts, tens of thousands remain without power.

Jorge Cropped

But the Red Cross remains a vital part of the effort to help — and provide hope for — those affected in the cyclical devastation of this disaster.

Along with our partners, the Red Cross has served more than 12.8 million meals and snacks and distributed over 5.9 million relief items across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

September 30, 2017. Barceloneta, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Red Cross volunteers distribute water, food and other basic necessities to families affected by Hurricane Maria. Photo by Sergio Rojas for The American Red Cross 30 de Septiembre de 2017. Barceloneta, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. La Cruz Roja entrega agua, comida y otros articulos de primera necesidad a las familias de Barceloneta afectadas por el Huracán María.

Photos by Sergio Rojas for The American Red Cross

Red Cross volunteers have provided more than 50,000 mental health and health services to support and care for those affected.

The international community continues to play an important role in the recovery efforts. More than 30 Red Cross disaster responders from around the globe deployed to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to help deliver aid. These responders came from Red Cross societies in Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, Mexico, Spain, and from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

To support all of the urgent humanitarian needs of the Red Cross, click here to start a monthly donation. Thank you!

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region