Red Cross Helps Allegheny County Libraries Prepare Patrons for Flu Season
PITTSBURGH – With extensive reference materials, computers and class offerings, Allegheny County libraries provide a wealth of information to the community. Amid flu season, however, the America
PITTSBURGH – The holidays are a time for excitement, celebration and laughter. With this holiday season quickly approaching, people throughout the region are decorating homes; while the American
Red Cross Urges Local Residents to Use Fire Alarms
PITTSBURGH - The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter wants you to be safe and ready in the case of a fire. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) release
October 29, 2007 Local Red Cross Inducts New Chairman and Five New Board Members at 90th Annual Board of Directors Meeting
Pittsburgh, Pa. -
The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, which serves the more than 1.6 million residents in Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, inducted five new members to its board of directors last month. Each will serve for a term of three years and a new board chairman was also elected.
Joseph Kennedy, client manager for Mercer Human Resources Consulting’s Pittsburgh and Cleveland offices was elected as the new board chairman for a term of three years. Kennedy has been a member of the local Red Cross board of directors for the past five years, serving most recently as First Vice Chair.
Prior to joining Mercer, Kennedy led the Pittsburgh and Cleveland offices of a major, global HR consulting and administration firm, and spent 17 years in leadership roles with the Westinghouse Electric Corp.
The new members inducted are:
New members:
Daniel Henderson, Product Management and Development at Highmark
Kathy Humphrey, Vice President/Dean of Students, University of Pittsburgh
Elizabeth Teti
Keith Whitson, Attorney, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP
John Verbanic, First Vice President, Bank of NY/Mellon
October 26, 2007 Red Cross UPDATE on California Wildfires
As the need for shelters continues, the Red Cross responds
Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Red Cross continues to open new shelters as others close. In some areas, services are transitioning to bulk distribution of cleanup supplies and individual client assistance. So far, the Red Cross has opened two dozen shelters, providing more than 6,000 people with a safe place to stay. The Red Cross continues to extend offers of supplies and expertise to other shelters in the area.
Also, since Sunday, hundreds of mental health professionals trained by the Red Cross in disaster response have provided services to thousands of people affected by the California wildfires. Estimates of the number of homes lost are growing and some have lost loved ones, pets and treasured possessions. Mental health workers are currently screening, assisting and providing referrals in Red Cross shelters, family intake centers and local government aid centers.
The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter has assigned one of these talented Disaster Mental Health Services volunteers to assist in the relief effort. Mark Lepore of Pittsburgh flies to California tomorrow morning for his two-week assignment to provide emotional support and expertise to families in need.
Here is a snapshot of current Red Cross activities as of midnight yesterday:
The Red Cross has provided more than 15,000 overnight stays in its shelters, and 24,000 meals during this incident.
The Red Cross has more than 3,000 workers on site in Southern California, including volunteers from all 50 states.
More than 3,000 local volunteers are assisting their neighbors in need, including 120 volunteers from Pennsylvania; 13 from the local chapter.
The Red Cross is operating 23 shelters throughout the region, 14 of which are in San Diego.
Several Red Cross aid stations throughout the region are providing food and water; health and mental health assessments; and they are distributing cleanup supplies.
The Red Cross Safe & Well website, where people can register to let their loved ones know they are safe, has over 1,300 registrations, with more than 300 successful matches.
For more information regarding the American Red Cross response to the California wildfires, click here.
October 25, 2007 American Red Cross Update on Southern California Wildfires
October 25, 2007
---With the needs changing by the hour in Southern California, the American Red Cross is expanding its services to the needs of the communities that are affected. Over the next several days, the Red Cross will be concentrating its effort on sheltering, expanding feeding services and expanding the distribution of clean-up supplies.
As of midnight Wednesday, the Red Cross had 23 shelters opened with a population of more than 5600 people. The Red Cross is also reaching out to the organizations running other shelters to extend offers of supplies and expertise.
The following additional services have been provided by the Red Cross:
Thousands of cots, blankets and toiletry kits have arrived with more on the way
50 mobile feeding vehicles have arrived with 25 more en route
40 trucks full of supplies have arrived. Supplies include rakes, shovels, and other useful equipment to help with cleanup in the affected communities
Local chapters in California have trained more than 1500 local volunteers to help with the effort.
The national Red Cross has moved nearly 2000 additional workers to the area to help with feeding and sheltering efforts.
The local Red Cross chapter deployed five volunteers Tuesday to support the relief effort in sheltering, feeding and staff services functions and they are:
Lou Lantzy of Turtle Creek;
Joe Korinchak of Gibsonia;
Theresa Creighan of Oakmont;
Rick Elster of Elizabeth Township; and
Peg Redmond of Centerville Borough.
Six more volunteers have been assigned and are slated to leave over the next 24 hours:
Daniel Lopes of Fayette City;
Gerald Jennings and Karrin Holmes both of Pittsburgh;
John Hoover of Finleyville;
Patrick Shaughnessy of Ross Township;and
Richard Ritchie of Upper St. Clair.
Safe & Well website: Residents in the affected area have been asked to reduce cell phone usage to accommodate emergency calls. If members of our community have loved ones in the affected area, they can search the Safe and Well website as an alternative for signs that their friends and families are safe. www.redcross.org will link to the Safe and Well site. If they need help registering on Safe and Well, they can also call 1-800-RED CROSS for help.
Financial Donations: This disaster response is funded by the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the wildfires in California, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
Red Cross blog
The Red Cross has a blog about the wildfires. This is a place to get updated information and photos about the Red Cross response. http://redcrosswestwildfires.wordpress.com/.
October 23, 2007 American Red Cross Offers Halloween Safety Tips
PITTSBURGH, Pa. --- As costumes are being chosen and parties are being planned; the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter wants to ensure that the families and communities in southwestern Pennsylvania are safe and cautious during upcoming Halloween festivities.
The following safety tips are for children and adults to help prevent injuries at Halloween:
Plan your trick-or-treating route and share it with your family. Whenever possible, have an adult accompany children.
Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards and scooters.)
Use face paint rather than masks or things that will obstruct your vision.
Cross the street only at corners.
Look both ways before crossing a street to make sure it is clear.
Do not hide or cross the street between parked cars.
Walk on sidewalks; not in the street.
Carry a flashlight to light your way.
Visit homes that have the porch light on.
Keep away from open fires and candles. (Keep in mind that costumes can be extremely flammable.)
Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house.
Be cautious of strangers and stray animals.
Inspect treats before eating. And do not eat candy if the package is already opened. Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.
For adults driving their children door-to-door, drive slowly and be mindful of the many other pedestrians out for the night of fun.
For more information or additional safety tips from the American Red Cross, visit our Web site at swpa.redcross.org.
October 10, 2007 Support the local American Red Cross at "Share the Spirit" charity shopping night at the Uniontown Mall Sunday, Nov. 11
All ticket sale proceeds will remain in Fayette County area to help families
UNIONTOWN, PA - When you decide where to go shopping for the holidays this year, why not go where your can support a charitable cause? Sunday, Nov. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Uniontown Mall, various discounts and sales will be offered by merchants for those who participate. If you purchase a ticket to support the Red Cross, 100 percent of the ticket purchase will support the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter in its Fayette County location.
Tickets are $5 and benefits include:
Program booklet detailing sales/discount offers from merchants
Chances to win various prizes, including grand prize of $1,000 mall gift card
Special holiday entertainment
Activities for the children including a visit from Mrs. Claus and a Holiday Train Ride
Tickets are available at the Fayette County location of the Red Cross, 108 Morgantown St. in Uniontown.
October 3, 2007 National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 7-13) Says to Practice Your Escape Plan
Local Red Cross partners with Reformed Presbyterian Home Oct. 9 for a full-scale disaster drill to test emergency and evacuation planning
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2007--- According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), "Practice Your Escape Plan!" is the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2007, which is Oct. 7-13. The NFPA says that it's not enough to have a home fire escape plan. To escape safely, you've got to make sure that everyone in the home has practiced the plan.
During Fire Prevention Week, on Oct. 9, the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter and Reformed Presbyterian Home (RPH) will practice what they’ve worked a year on---the evacuation and emergency plans for RPH.
Too often after disasters strike, the victims of the destruction and devastation realize that they were simply not prepared for what happened. The Red Cross is dedicated to helping the Pittsburgh region to be better prepared for emergencies.
As part of the Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Program, the full-scale disaster drill that will take place at RPH, a graduated care facility on the North Side (2344 Perrysville Ave.) that offers a continuum of care from independent living through assisted living and nursing care to almost 100 seniors.
The Emergency Preparedness Program was developed locally by the Red Cross in response to numerous requests by seniors for information on how to prepare for emergencies. The program was developed specifically to address the disability concerns and special needs of the elderly, and now has grown to encompass all populations with special needs.
The Red Cross role in the initiative is to:
Provide guidelines to develop an emergency plan;
Continuously consult the organizations during planning and
Provide all necessary training for facility residents and personnel.
The RPH facility has worked for more than a year with the local Red Cross to revise its emergency operations plan and to be trained in preparedness---the culmination of the work will be demonstrated at the full-scale drill.
The drill will involve evacuating and relocating of more than 30 people---a combination of residents of RPH and Red Cross and RPH volunteers---because of a fire-related emergency. Residents of RPH have consented to participate and/or have been informed of the drill taking place Oct. 9.
"Emergencies can strike quickly and without warning. A fire, flood, winter storm or explosion can put staff and residents in danger," said Faith Martin, executive director for Reformed Presbyterian Home. "It is essential to know how to accommodate residents, clients and staff--particularly those who require special assistance."
Other organizations and facilities involved with the drill are Rx Partners, LTC-the pharmacy that RPH uses; City of Pittsburgh Emergency Management Agency and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire. The Pittsburgh Project, located at 2801 N. Charles Street, has generously volunteered to be the location of the Red Cross shelter to which the evacuated residents will be taken.
While disasters cause devastation and hardship to all in their path, the special needs residents are often in greater peril than the general population due to mobility issues, poor health, or cognitive difficulties. The Emergency Preparedness Program initiative provides a framework that can be used to improve the outcome of catastrophic events for residents with special needs.
