Always on Time in Your Time of Need

Posted on April 15, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By: Darrell Rush, Service to the Armed Forces Intern

Darryl

Hello my name is Darrell, I am a Social Worker intern at the American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio Regional Office in Cleveland. I want to share my story of how the Red Cross affects each of us, at one point or another.

As part of my internship, I am working on a program that has become better over the years because of advances in Informational Technology. We are able to connect people and resources with a simple key stroke. This program helps Red Cross volunteers provide information to family members of deployed military personnel. The information provided helps the family with resources that gives light on a dark situation. I know that when a person is deployed and away from family members there are plenty of anxieties to spread around.

I served in the Army in the late 1970’s, after the return of our troops from Vietnam. I wanted to fight for our country, but was too young. I enlisted as soon as I was eligible. When I did my family was a wreck.. My father was killed while I was in training, and I did not find out until after he was buried.They did not find out what to do to contact the Red Cross until after I came home on leave.

That was a problem back then that has been remedied today.

In February, I was doing my regular duties- making calls to our Service Members families – when a young lady answered and found out that I was from the Red Cross. She was very distraught and bewildered. She screamed to her mother that help was there and that God was good. “The Red Cross is on the phone.”When the mother got on the call she immediately informed me that her mother just passed away the prior evening, and they did not know what to do in order to contact her son in the military. I explained the reason for my call and gave her all the information needed to start the process. She kept on thanking God for this call and the Red Cross. By the end of our conversation she was at ease and had a plan. Then she said to me,” The Red Cross is always on time in your time of need.”

“Repetition is the only way to achieve perfection here on earth”. Since I was a young lad, I have always tried to place myself in the right position to help others. You see, by continuing to do the same thing over and over again it becomes like breathing air. That simple! This is the main reason for the Red Cross being the perfect place to start when looking for advice and information in your time of need; whether it be preparing for a disaster, contacting a loved one in the Armed Forces during an emergency, or even learning about administering first aid.

The Red Cross strives to share information that will help us prepare for an emergency. They give advice on resiliency, and ways to prepare your household with hope for a better day. The Red Cross supplies resources that will help people to overcome personal tragedy and ensure a faster recovery.

To learn more about how the Red Cross helps our service members and their families visit our Service to the Armed Forces site.

Why I Volunteer for the American Red Cross

Posted on April 13, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Stephanie M. Goggans
CPT, SC
U.S. Army Cleveland Metro Recruiting Company

I volunteer with the Red Cross because service and volunteerism makes the world a better place. If each one of us can have an impact on the next person then the entire world will be better.

Service with the American Red Cross was important for me as a military service member because it allows me to continue my volunteering as I travel worldwide. The American Red Cross has many diverse programs to volunteer in and so many different locations that they make it pretty simple to spend time giving back.

Helping with the disaster preparedness team in Northeast Ohio has been very educational for me. Being from Northeast Ohio, volunteering with the American Red Cross also helps me stay connected to what is going on in my area. Although I wasn’t aware of it at first,
volunteering in the community through the American Red Cross has added to my sense of purpose and helped me become the person I am today.

Volunteering can be challenging, but it is ultimately very rewarding.

Thank you,

Stephanie

CPT GoggansStephanie

Click here to see a short video featuring Captain Stephanie Goggins, volunteering to sort mail destined for U. S. Service Men and Women during the holidays.

Ani Stone, SAF Volunteer

Posted on April 12, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

My name is Ani Stone and I am a Service to Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer. I have been volunteering for the American Red Cross since September 2014.

I moved to the United States in 2008 to pursue a graduate degree in Religious Studies and during my studies I volunteered for a Holocaust education program for middle and high school students. Upon graduation, I volunteered as a Romanian translator for elderly Romanians seeking medical or social assistance from government. When I moved to Stark County nearly four years ago, I continued my translator work, but the distance made work more difficult. I was looking for a new opportunity to enrich my life through volunteering, but was not sure which opportunity was the best. I decided to look at the American Red Cross, as the organization had a great reputation in Europe as well and I was more familiar with it than the other organizations in the area.

I had my first interview via phone and then a face-to-face follow up, and when I was told that there was an opening to volunteer for the Service to Armed Forces division, I made my decision. I was looking for a chance to make a difference and help through my volunteering work, and I knew my efforts would be meaningful as a SAF volunteer.

There is no higher honor than serving your country and protecting the public, including those who antagonize you. It’s an honor to serve those who work in this function.

If you are interested in volunteering, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Our Story: 2015 in Review

Posted on December 31, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

A word of thanks to everyone who visited us here in 2015, to read about the good work being done by volunteers and staff of the American Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region.

Operation Save-A-Life, Lorain, Ohio, October 2015

The concert hall at Severance holds 1,844 people. This blog was viewed about 9,900 times in 2015. If it were a Cleveland Orchestra concert at Severance Hall, it would take more than 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it!

Click here to see the complete report.

Holiday Message from Mike Parks

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

American Red Cross CEO Mike Parks, Northeast Ohio Region

Northeast Ohio American Red Cross Family: Between Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, Boxing Day and New Year’s (among others)—we’re well into this year’s “Holiday Season.” Please accept my sincere thanks and grateful appreciation for all each of you do every day to help serve those in need in Northeast Ohio. Thank you!

As we close out calendar year 2015 (as well as the first half of FY 2016) and reflect back on your accomplishments, it’s been an incredibly busy year. Here’s just a partial list of some of those successes:

Opened more disaster cases and provided more direct client assistance than the same time last year.

Prescious Givens and her family received housing assistance after their home caught fire

Installed more than 6500 smoke alarms (our target was 6500 but we upped our annual goal to 10,000).

Lincoln Electric CEO and Red Cross Board Member Chris Mapes installing smoke alarms in Euclid

Reached more than 2800 students with the Pillowcase Project (our target was 3000 but we got materials for 500 additional).

Students created pillowcases at Wilcox Elementary School in North Ridgeville

Migrated almost 2200 volunteers (including Biomedical Services) to Volunteer Connection.

Volunteer George Figel of Akron

Recruited more than 300 new volunteers to the American Red Cross.

Created an integrated American Red Cross Board combining Chapter & Biomedical Boards.

Inaugural meeting of combined board

Achieved 100% participation in our annual Board Campaign while exceeding our financial goal by almost 10%.

Partnered with both the Veteran’s Administration and the USO to better serve our members of the Armed Forces.

American Red Cross CEO Mike Parks, with Ohio Army National Guardsmen

Updated all Northeast Ohio American Red Cross websites and revitalized an informative Blog.

Upgraded our building facilities and streamlined our automotive fleet.

Remained well-within our annual expense budget through careful stewardship.

Hired and onboarded more than a dozen new enthusiastic Red Cross employees.

Regional Disaster Officer Tim O’Toole

And as you know—that’s just scratching the surface of all you’ve accomplished throughout the Northeast Ohio Region. As many of us take time to celebrate with families and friends, I want to say a special “Thank You” to those staff and volunteers who have, and will be providing critical assistance during this holiday period. We wouldn’t be the American Red Cross without you! As I’ve said many times since joining this fine organization, the American Red Cross is all about “caring”…”caring for those we serve” and “caring for those who serve.” It seems fitting that in this special season of giving, we remember those who give so much to help those in need. Thank you to all of the Northeast Ohio American Red Cross family. I wish you and yours Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. I’m already excited about what 2016 will bring—I hope you are too. Best wishes…Mike

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.

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.

Military Families Can Now Send Emergency Messages Online

Posted on September 23, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

American Red Cross Introduces Hero Care Network

The Red Cross has an unwavering commitment to members of the U.S. military, its veterans and their families. Always has, ever since founder Clara Barton began to recruit nurses to support Army soldiers. And now, more than 130 years later, a new digital tool has been developed to give military families the ability to get an emergency message to loved ones immediately from a computer, tablet or smartphone.

The Hero Care Network provides a new online option for emergency communication among military families, as well as the toll free Red Cross Emergency number at 877-272-7337.

“Close to 1,200 military families from Northeast Ohio reached out to the Red Cross for emergency assistance last year, and more than 900 needed to make an emergency contact with a loved one in uniform,” according to Jessica Tischler, Director of Service to Armed Forces for Northeast Ohio. “Our military families are among the 110,000 families nationwide, some 300 every day, who rely on the Red Cross during their time of need.” Any member of any branch of the military on active duty is eligible to receive an emergency communication message from family members through the Red Cross Hero Care Network. This includes activated members of the Guard and Reserve of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, along with civilians employed by or under contract to the Department of Defense and stationed outside of the continental United States, and any family member residing with them. A Cadet or midshipman at a service academy, an ROTC cadet on orders for training and Merchant Marines aboard U.S. Naval ships are also eligible for emergency communications assistance through the Red Cross.

The new online tool, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at redcross.org/HeroCareNetwork is a secure way for family members of the men and women who serve our country to notify their loved ones about the birth of a child or grandchild, a serious illness, or the death of an immediate family member. The Red Cross has taken multiple steps to ensure the safety and security of all personal information.

While many military families are in constant contact through email and text messaging, information verified by the Red Cross assists service men and women and their commanding officers when it comes to making a decision regarding emergency leave. And with the new online tool, users who initiate an emergency message can monitor the status of their message as it goes through the verification and delivery process.

“It’s important to remember that people can always speak to a Red Cross worker at any time during the process,” according to Koby J. Langley, Senior Vice President of Service to Armed Forces for the American Red Cross. “regardless of how families initiate an emergency message, military members can depend on the Red Cross to relay urgent messages to service members serving anywhere in the world.”

For more information about Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces, contact Jessica Tischler at Jessica.tischler@redcross.org, or visit redcross.org/military.

Support Our Armed Forces With Holiday Mail for Heroes

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

We are collecting cards for our annual Holiday Mail for Heroes. The program provides cards of thanks and support to the members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families.

The five chapters in Northeast Ohio are collecting the cards which will then be distributed locally to service members, their families, and veterans through area VA service locations, VFWs, and other military organizations. The cards may be delivered individually, included in care packages or displayed at common venues in military installations and hospitals.

A few rules:

The Red Cross does not provide cards to sign. Instead, please feel free to make cards or use any favorites that you have on hand.
In order to make cards as meaningful as possible for a wide audience, we recommend that you use generic titles such as “Dear Service Member,/Veteran/ Military Family Member” when writing the cards.
Cards should not contain glitter because some cards may end up at the bedside of a wounded service member and the glitter could aggravate existing health issues.
Please do not seal in individual envelopes. It is easier for our volunteers to screen and sort the cards if they aren’t individually sealed in envelopes.
Individual cards can be dropped off or mailed to the Red Cross chapters in a large envelope or mailing box.
We ask that people not enclose any items with the holiday cards. Any items enclosed with the holiday cards will be removed, including photos and other gifts. If you wish to provide financial support for Red Cross services to the military, please donate online.
Chapters cannot accept cards after November 30 – we still need time for our volunteers to sort and deliver!

You can mail or drop cards off (between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.) to the following locations:

Greater Cleveland Chapter
3747 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115

Lake Erie/Heartland Chapter
244 West South Street
Wooster, OH 44691

Elyria Office
2929 West River Rd. N.
Elyria, OH 44035

Mansfield Office
39 N. Park Street
Mansfield, OH 44902

Lake to River Chapter
3530 Belmont Avenue
Suite 7
Youngstown, OH 44505

Ashtabula County Office
433 Center St
Ashtabula, OH 44004

Jefferson County Office
81 Talbott Drive
Wintersville, OH 43953

Stark County & Muskingum Lakes Chapter
408 9th Street, SW
Canton, OH 44707

Muskingum Lakes Office
1451 4th St. NW
New Philadelphia, OH 44663

Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties Chapter
501 West Market Street
Akron, OH 44303

How can you get involved in the Holiday Mail program beyond mailing a card?

Word of Mouth: Host a card signing party as part of your Thanksgiving Celebration!

Social Media: Connect with fellow card senders through social media channels and help us get the word out through Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #holidaymail.

Help Sort and Deliver Cards: If you are interested in helping sort and deliver cards, please contact Jessica Tischler at 216-426-7525 to see how you can help.

Get to Know Us Before You Need Us: Our Service to the Armed Forces Program

Posted on August 6, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

The American Red Cross’ unwavering commitment to members of the U.S. military, its veterans and their families continues to grow and develop more than a century after Clara Barton first recruited nurses to support the U.S. Army. Today, the Red Cross is meeting the needs of a changing military and expanding services to veterans. Red Cross support of military members and their families enhances morale and contributes to increased operational capability in several ways.

The Red Cross provides critical services with a caring touch to men and women in all branches of the United States military, active duty personnel, reservists and members of the National Guard, and their families. Through our Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) program, service men and women are eligible for three types of assistance beginning on the first day of enlistment: Emergency Services, Service to Military Families and Service to Military and Veterans Hospitals.

In Northeast Ohio we have a number of opportunities to support our Service to the Armed Forces program:

Casework follow up for emergency communication and financial assistance cases
Support Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) at various locations such as: Louis Stokes VA Medical Center and outpatient clinics (Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Lorain, Mansfield, Parma, Youngstown and the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery) and the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky
Represent the Red Cross at military and military family outreach events
Conduct family briefings at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Cleveland as new recruits get ready to leave for training
K-9 Action Team pet visitation

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering with our SAF program apply via Volunteer Connection.

Current volunteers: sign in, click “opportunities”, apply
New volunteers: visit https:redcross.org/neo
- Click on “volunteer” tab in left margin
- Submit application profile and complete remaining application checklist

For general questions regarding the application process, please contact Volunteer Services at 216-431-3328 or NEOVolunteer@redcross.org.

For detailed questions about our Service to the Armed Forces program, please contact Jessica Tischler at Jessica.tischler@redcross.org or 216-426-7525.

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region

Tag Archives: Service to Armed Forces