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
August 31, 2008 American Red Cross Prepares for Hurricane Gustav
PITTSBURGH -- As the U.S. Gulf Coast region braces for Hurricane Gustav to come ashore, the American Red Cross is making preparations for its biggest disaster relief operation since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Should the need arise, the Red Cross will work to provide disaster victims with food, shelter, clothing and emotional support. Below is a list of facts regarding the Hurricane Gustav disaster response preparations currently being made by the Red Cross.
Approximately 3,000 Red Cross workers and volunteers are currently in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama for this disaster relief operation.
The Red Cross has moved more than 200 mobile feeding trucks to the region; that is approximately two-thirds of our national fleet.
The Red Cross has more than 750,000 pre-packaged meals ready in the region.
We have enough shelter supplies in the region to house 500,000 shelter residents for a six-day period. The Red Cross is working closely with federal, state and local officials to ensure that we have enough shelters open and in the right places.
Following Hurricane Katrina, the Red Cross made an $80 million investment to pre-position supplies, purchase communication equipment and train disaster workers; the investment is now paying off by allowing us to quickly position people, equipment and supplies for Hurricane Gustav.
The mobilization of people and supplies has already cost the Red Cross approximately $12 million, and the storm has yet to make landfall. The American Red Cross is not a government agency and relies on the private donations of individuals and companies to fund disaster relief efforts.
To donate, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcross.org.
Additionally, the Red Cross has launched an online newsroom to keep the news media informed about current relief operations underway in communities affected by Hurricane Gustav.
August 29, 2008 Local Red Cross Deploys Six More Volunteers to Assist With Gustav
PITTSBURGH -- The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter has deployed six more volunteers to the Gulf Coast in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav, bringing the total number of local volunteers deployed to the region to nine.
The six volunteers who learned Friday that they would be deployed are listed below; each volunteer’s deployment will last two to three weeks.
Cindy Chmel of Claysville (Washington County) will deploy to New Orleans Saturday afternoon. She will work in bulk distribution of goods and materials. This will be Cindy’s first national deployment with the Red Cross.
Daniel Lopes of Fayette City (Fayette County) will leave for the New Orleans area Saturday morning. Dan will perform life safety and asset protection functions for Red Cross operations in the region. This is Dan’s fifth national deployment.
Kiatikun “Lou” Luangkesorn of Wexford will depart early Saturday morning for Tyler, Texas. Lou will work as a government liaison for disaster response operations. This will be Lou’s first national deployment with the Red Cross.
Karen Miller of Pittsburgh will deploy to Tyler, Texas Saturday afternoon. Karen will work as a health services supervisor in a Red Cross evacuation shelter. This is Karen’s sixth national deployment.
John Mitchell of Baldwin will leave for New Orleans Saturday afternoon; he will perform bulk distribution of goods for the Red Cross. John is making is first national deployment.
Barbara Seibert of Monroeville will leave for Tyler, Texas Saturday morning. She will perform health service functions in a Red Cross evacuation shelter.
These volunteers join Theresa Creighan of Oakmont, who deployed Friday for Hattiesburg, Miss., and Tom Palmquist of Bethel Park and Joe Korinchak of Gibsonia who left for Hattiesburg Thursday morning.
Creighan, who is on her 20th national deployment, will perform staff administration duties. Palmquist and Korinchak drove the chapter’s Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to Mississippi Thursday; they will work in mobile feeding and mass distribution.
Nationally, the Red Cross is in the process of deploying approximately 3,000 volunteers to the Gulf Coast region, though that number could change based on need. The local ERV is one of approximately 200 Red Cross response vehicles headed to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in anticipation of Gustav.
Additionally, the Red Cross is sending approximately 100,000 cots, 200,000 blankets and tens of thousands of comfort kits (containing basic sanitary supplies) and ready-to-eat meals to the region; these supplies will be stationed in 99 shelter support trailers, which will be dispersed throughout the region.
The American Red Cross is not a government agency; we rely on the private donations and volunteer efforts of the community to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. To learn how to make a “Promise to Prepare” for disasters, to make a donation or for information on volunteering, contact the local Red Cross at 1-888-217-9599 or visit swpa.redcross.org.
August 28, 2008 Local Red Cross Deploys Third Volunteer in Anticipation of Hurricane Gustav
PITTSBURGH - With Hurricane Gustav expected to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast region this weekend, the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter has deployed volunteer Theresa Creighan of Oakmont to Mississippi to assist with disaster relief operations.
Creighan will depart Friday, Aug. 29., for Hattiesburg, Miss., where she will perform staff administration duties for the Red Cross; her duties and specific location could change, depending on the extent and location of storm damage. Her deployment will last up to three weeks, if needed. This will be the 20th national deployment for Creighan, who joined the Red Cross in 2004.
Creighan is the third volunteer from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter to deploy to the Gulf Coast region this week. Tom Palmquist of Bethel Park and Joe Korinchak of Gibsonia left for Mississippi Thursday morning; they are driving the chapter’s Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) which will be used for mobile feeding in disaster relief operations.
Nationally, the Red Cross is moving approximately 200 response vehicles to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in anticipation of Gustav. Additionally, the Red Cross is sending approximately 100,000 cots, 200,000 blankets and tens of thousands of comfort kits (containing basic sanitary supplies) and ready-to-eat meals to the region; these supplies will be stationed in 99 shelter support trailers, which will be dispersed throughout the region.
The American Red Cross is not a government agency; we rely on the private donations and volunteer efforts of the community to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. To learn how to make a “Promise to Prepare” for disasters, to make a donation or for information on volunteering, contact the local Red Cross at 1-888-217-9599 or visit swpa.redcross.org.
August 27, 2008 Local Red Cross Deploying Two Volunteers, Vehicle to Mississippi
PITTSBURGH – As the country braces for the landfall of Hurricane Gustav, which is currently wreaking havoc in the Caribbean and headed for the Mississippi coast, the American Red Cross is making disaster response preparations.
Locally, the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter is deploying two volunteers and an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to Hattiesburg, Miss. Tom Palmquist of Bethel Park and Joe Korinchak of Gibsonia will drive the ERV to Mississippi early Thursday morning.
Palmquist and Korinchak are both retired but both stay active volunteering with the local Red Cross; this will be the fourth national deployment for each.
“I just felt I needed to help,” said Korinchak, who joined the Red Cross four years ago. “There are so many people in need of assistance of all kinds today, this is my way of helping.”
Palmquist began volunteering with the local Red Cross following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He regularly volunteers with the chapter’s Disaster Action Team and serves as its ERV Coordinator. When not in use, the vehicle is stationed at the Peters Township Volunteer Fire Department.
“Volunteering with the Red Cross is very rewarding,” he said. “I don’t know that it will ever be fun, but you do it to help people who have had their lives destroyed. I can’t imagine being on the other side of that table, being in that position. But if I were in that position, I would hope that someone would be there to help me.”
The American Red Cross is not a government agency; we rely on the private donations and volunteer efforts of the community to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. To learn how to make a “Promise to Prepare” for disasters, to make a donation or for information on volunteering, contact the local Red Cross at 1-888-217-9599 or visit swpa.redcross.org.
August 25, 2008 Red Cross Offers Back to School Safety Tips
PITTSBURGH -- Getting ready to go back to school means more than just buying new clothes and stocking up on supplies. The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter reminds students that while going back to school can be exciting, it can also be dangerous, especially for younger students who are encountering new situations in unfamiliar territory.
Riding a school bus, for example, presents risks. Some 25 million students nationwide travel on buses to and from schools and school-related activities each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA also reported that school bus-related crashes killed 134 people in 2005.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), school buses are the safest form of ground transportation and many bus accidents are preventable. The NSC advises greater attention to the processes by which students board and depart the bus.
The local Red Cross urges students to be prepared by adhering to the following safety tips, which will help make riding the school bus a safe experience:
Walking to the Bus Stop
Always walk on the sidewalk to the bus stop, never run. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left facing oncoming traffic.
Go to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
While at the bus stop, wait quietly in a safe place well away from the road. Do not run or play while waiting.
Entering the Bus
Line up facing the bus, not along side it, with younger students in front.
Hold the handrail while going up and down the stairs.
After entering the bus, go directly to a seat.
Riding the Bus
Remain seated and face forward during the entire ride.
Always speak quietly on the bus so the driver will not be distracted; always be silent when a bus comes to a railroad crossing so the driver can hear if a train is coming.
Never throw objects on the bus or out the windows.
Keep the aisles clear at all times. Feet should be directly in front of you on the floor and book bags should be kept on your lap.
Large instruments or sports equipment should not block the aisle or emergency exits.
Never play with the emergency exit handles. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.
Hands should be kept to yourself at all times while riding on the bus. Fighting and picking on others creates a dangerous situation.
Exiting the Bus
Make sure drawstrings and other loose objects are secure before getting off the bus so that they do not get caught on the handrail or door.
After exiting the bus, always remain where the driver can see you; respect the “Danger Zone” and stay at least 10 feet away from the bus on all sides.
Wait for a signal from the bus driver before crossing the street. Even if the driver signals that it is safe to cross, still look both ways for traffic.
If you leave something on the bus, do not return to the bus to get it. The driver may not see you come back and may begin moving the bus. Instead, contact the school office about getting the item.
School buses aren’t the only back-to-school hazard. Since emergencies can happen anywhere at any time, it is important to be prepared.
The Red Cross also advises students prepare themselves for any emergency by assembling a first aid kit to keep in a backpack. A standard kit might include items such as bandages, gauze pads, safety pins, scissors, tweezers, latex gloves, a roll of tape, antiseptic wipes and an adhesive wound pad.
Additionally, the Red Cross urges older students to get trained in CPR and first aid. For a complete list of supplies to include in a first aid kit or for a schedule of upcoming CPR and first aid classes, visit swpa.redcross.org or call 888-217-9599.
These back-to-school tips are just some of the ways local residents can make a “Promise to Prepare” for any emergency. For more information on how to make your Promise, visit swpa.redcross.org.
August 15, 2008 Local Red Cross Connects Soldier in Afghanistan with Newborn Son
PITTSBURGH - Last week, Sgt. Joseph A. Brown - a member of the U.S. Army National Guard - was working as a lead medic with a scout and sniper platoon in Afghanistan while his wife, Tara, was at the family’s home in McKeesport, awaiting the birth of their first child.
I was stressing about getting back to the States because there was the possibility that there might be complications with the pregnancy,” he said.
Thanks to the Service to the Armed Force (SAF) Program at the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, Joseph is now at home with Tara and Marques Joseph Brown, who was born last Saturday, Aug. 9, at 5:25 a.m.
“If you’re trying to get emergency leave, you can’t leave the country - they won’t even process the papers - without documentation from the Red Cross,” said Joseph. “In and out, it’s a very good program.”
Tara contacted the local Red Cross when she went into labor, and volunteers from the chapter then contacted Red Cross representatives in Afghanistan who relayed the message to Joseph. A few days later, he was on leave and spending time with his wife and newborn son.
Tara said that having the Red Cross ready and willing to help her during this stressful time was comforting.
“Everyone at the Red Cross was very, very nice,” she said. “They were a blessing and helped make everything we dreamed of come true.”
While not as well-known as its disaster response programs, the SAF Program at the Red Cross is extremely valuable to military families. Any time a local military family has an emergency, family members can call the Red Cross for assistance. The local chapter confirms the incident, then gets in touch with Red Cross representatives embedded with the military who then relay the message to the appropriate military personnel.
Unfortunately, these emergency messages often involve family illnesses or deaths, but joyful messages such as births make the service even more gratifying, said Pauline Duncan, Service to the Armed Forces/International Coordinator for the local Red Cross.
Last week, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter helped three local families communicate information about births (including one set of twins) to loved ones in the military.
“So often, the messages we relay are about illnesses or deaths,” said Duncan. “For our chapter to be able to inform servicemen about the births of four babies in one week is very rare but extremely exciting.”
While the Red Cross works in connection with the government through the SAF program, the Red Cross, itself, is not a government agency. It is only through the work of volunteers and generous donations from the community that the Red Cross is able to connect local families like the Browns with their loved ones serving abroad.
For more information on the SAF Program or the Red Cross, or to make a donation, call 1-888-217-9599 or visit swapa.redcross.org.
August 8, 2008 Local Red Cross and RSVP to Participate in Volunteer Speed Matching Event
PITTSBURGH - Do you want to learn about the various volunteer opportunities available at the American Red Cross and other nonprofit groups, but your busy schedule doesn't allow you the time to do the research? Volunteer Speed Matching is the perfect solution.
The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter and one of its sponsored programs, the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), are among a group of approximately 20 nonprofit organizations that will participate in a Volunteer Speed Matching event at Bethel Park Public Library on Friday, Aug. 22 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Patterned after the popular "speed dating" trend, the idea behind Volunteer Speed Matching is to pair as many individuals as possible with the right organization by providing them information on a wide array of nonprofits in a short amount of time.
The rapid, face-to-face interaction is designed to offer immediate insight into the organizations. Potential volunteers who attend the event will have quick, five-minute conversations with representatives from nonprofits who can offer "snapshots" of their respective organizations and the various opportunities they have to offer. Once five minutes has expired, a bell rings and the potential volunteer travels to the next organization to learn more, and so on.
Representatives of the local Red Cross and RSVP agree that Speed Matching is a unique and valuable event for interested volunteers and the organizations themselves.
"Speed Matching is a great recruiting tool. It gives both the Red Cross and the prospective volunteer an opportunity to see if their interests and goals mesh well with our mission and opportunities," said Renee Willow, emergency services volunteer coordinator for the local Red Cross. "Because this is a brief face-to-face conversation, it's possible to learn a lot without investing a lot of time."
Helen Harrison, field coordinator for RSVP - a Red Cross-sponsored organization that helps connect individuals, ages 55 and older, with meaningful volunteer roles throughout the community - said that there are many avenues that people can take to use their skills and experience through the program.
"RSVP offers a wide spectrum for volunteer engagement: literacy programs, hospitals, Meals on Wheels, libraries, schools, human service agencies, and arts and cultural organizations," said Harrison. "Speed Matching is a great way for RSVP to share information."
Volunteers make up approximately 97 percent of the Red Cross staff, so innovative methods of recruiting new volunteers - such as Speed Matching - are essential.
"Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Red Cross," said Willow. "It's only through their dedication that the Red Cross is able to perform so much good work for the community. Because of that, we are always recruiting new volunteers to keep the ranks active and engaged."
Individuals interested in attending can visit Bethel Park Library - located at 5100 W. Library Ave. in Bethel Park, PA 15102 - any time between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. For more information on the event, contact Mary Mullen at 412-835-2207.
For more information on Red Cross volunteer opportunities, contact Renee Willow at 412-263-3136; for more information on RSVP opportunities, contact Helen Harrison at 412-263-3183.
