Help fulfill wish list for hospitalized veterans

Posted on December 6, 2022 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Holidays for Heroes with a twist

Toothpaste, body wash and skin cream are not the most likely items for a typical holiday gift wish list. But for those heroes who are being cared for in the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, the Ohio Veterans Home and the Toledo VA Outpatient Clinic, they are essentials. And generous supporters of Northern Ohio’s hospitalized veterans can purchase these items and others on the Northern Ohio Heroes Wish List, created by the American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region.

“People are generous and always willing to help our nation’s veterans, so we’re working with our partners at the VA and the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky to make sure their patients have what they need – and want – this holiday season,” said Jessica Tischler, Regional Service to the Armed Forces Program Director. “In years past, people sent holiday cards to veterans and service men and women around the world, but once again this year, we are asking people to help our veterans in a different way.”

Adult coloring books and crayons are other items on the Northern Ohio Heroes Wish List, which can be accessed on Amazon here.

“We put this wish list together after consulting with the VA’s amazing health care providers,” said Jessica. “We hope that these items will help bring some comfort to men and women who can’t be home for the holidays by letting them know Americans care about them and appreciate the sacrifices they made.”

Items purchased from the Northern Ohio Heroes Wish List will be delivered to Red Cross regional headquarters in Cleveland, and will be dropped off at facilities throughout the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare system, the Ohio Veterans Home, and the Toledo VA Outpatient Clinic throughout the holiday season.

Learn more about Red Cross Service to the Armed forces here.

127 Homes Made Safer in Maple Heights and Akron

Posted on May 9, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Simultaneous Sound the Alarm Events Held Last Saturday

By Jim McIntyre, American Red Cross

More than 300 smoke alarms were installed in homes last Saturday as the American Red Cross Sound the Alarm campaign hit the halfway point. The nationwide effort to install 100,000 smoke alarms across the country, and to save lives, began on April 28. The final Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event in Northeast Ohio takes place this Saturday in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood.

Sound the Alarm in Maple Heights, 5/5/18

On Saturday, May 5, 204 alarms were installed in 77 homes in Maple Heights. In Akron, 50 homes were made safer, as 115 smoke alarms were installed. In addition, volunteers from the Red Cross and a number of civic groups and corporate partners offered residents valuable fire safety information and helped them create escape plans.

Sound the Alarm in Akron, 5/5/18

“The Red Cross and our partners helped save lives by making homes safer and communities more resilient,” said Mike Parks, Regional CEO of the Red Cross of Northeast Ohio. “And we are truly grateful for the invaluable partnerships that are either created or strengthened through the Sound the Alarm campaign, with local fire departments, community groups like the VA, and corporations like KeyBank helping families throughout the Region.”

Volunteers from the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, including Director Sue Fuehrer, center, with Regional Red Cross CEO Mike Parks, right

You can see more photos from Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events here. There is still time to volunteer for one of the three remaining Sound the Alarm events. Join the effort to end home fires in Akron this Thursday, May 10 and Friday, May 11, and in Cleveland on Saturday, May 12. Visit soundthealarm.org/neo for more information.

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.

Greater Cleveland Heroes Honored

Posted on March 13, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

It’s fitting, but not intentional, that National Good Samaritan Day fell the day before we honored Greater Cleveland Heroes.

The day is also known as Good Samaritan Involvement Day. It is a day for unselfish actions to help those in need and to celebrate kindness.

The term “Good Samaritan” comes from the Bible parable where a Samaritan helped a stranger who had been robbed and beaten and left to die by the side of the road. The Samaritan not only cleaned the man’s wounds and clothed him, but took him to an inn where he paid for the man’s care.

The term is used today to describe those who perform acts of kindness for those in need, especially those who are strangers. Like the seven individuals we honored on March 15.

About 500 people attended the 2018 Greater Cleveland Heroes Award ceremony at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, where the Cleveland Indians received the Community Leader Award. See our photo album of the event here.

In a nutshell…

Patrolman Christopher Olup and Sergeant Robert Prochazka

Patrolman Christopher Olup and Sergeant Robert Prochazka of the Willowick Police Department risked their own lives to enter a burning house and pull a disabled man to safety.

Nurse Janine Smalley of the Cleveland VA Medical Center volunteered to treat thousands of veterans in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

Gilbert DiSanto of Miceli Dairy used an AED and performed CPR to save the life of a man who had collapsed near the company’s headquarters in Cleveland.

Janine Smalley

Gilbert DiSanto

Jared Lee

Dana Walling

Dana Walling was a customer at Classic BMW in Willoughby Hills when he helped two wounded police officers subdue a gunman.

Jared Lee of the MetroHealth System improvised by using the drawstring from his scrubs as a tourniquet on a severely injured victim of a car crash.

John and Jan Durkalski

Jan Durkalski performed CPR and ran for help after her husband collapsed during a run in the Cleveland Metroparks, saving his life.

These seven individuals are the very definition of “Good Samaritans,” and we are proud to honor them for their selfless acts.

See our heroes tell their stories in their own words here.

We honored 12 Heroes earlier this month in Akron, at the 2018 Acts of Courage awards in the Summit, Portage and Medina Counties Chapter. And coming in June, the Acts of Courage awards in Youngstown will honor heroes from our Lake to River Chapter.

Holidays for Heroes Program Getting Ready to Launch in NEO

Posted on October 18, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Annual Program Helps Cheer Men and Women Serving in the Military

By: Jessica Tischler, Service to the Armed Forces Manager

We have begun collecting cards for our annual program – Holidays for Heroes. As with last year, we are looking for more generalized cards that can be used throughout the year. These cards will be delivered to service members, veterans and their families in Northeast Ohio.

We are asking that you provide a couple of cards with thoughtful, heartfelt messages instead of large numbers with only a signature.

This year, we are partnering with the Troop and Family Assistance Center to collect items that are needed by service members in Northeast Ohio. A donation of these small items with a note of appreciate will be welcomed by those serving us here in Northeast Ohio.

Toilet paper
Dish soap
Baby wipes
Paper towels
Kleenex
Feminine hygiene products
Hand sanitizer
Shaving cream and razors
Canned meat
Canned fruit
Pastas
Breakfast foods
Coffee
Drink Mix

Each of the five chapters in Northeast Ohio are collecting the items and cards for local distribution to service members, their families, and veterans through military units, area VA service locations, VFWs, and other military organizations. Through this program, 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.
Please, no personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses
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 cards, or drop cards and items 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

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

Muskingum Lakes Office
734 Fair Ave 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.

Partnership with VA, Vets Groups Makes 100+ Homes Safer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VA, Veterans to Help Red Cross Make Homes Safer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region

Tag Archives: VA