November is National Youth Involvement Month

Did you know that 27 percent of all American Red Cross volunteers are under the age of 24?  Take time to celebrate the accomplishments of youth volunteers and challenge them to do more this November. View the youth involvement message from Jerry DeFrancisco, president, Humanitarian Services, below.

“National Youth Involvement Month…is a call to action. It’s a time to lead by example and demonstrate the commitment which Gail McGovern and I have already made, that youth are a priority…”

For more information about the youth initiative you can visit RedCrossYouth.org  or contact us at the Chapter  for how you can become involved!

Preparing for a November Hurricane!

Hurricane season does not end until November 30, nonetheless, many of us are surprised to see a hurricane enter the Gulf this weekend and so late in theyear! Hurricane Ida is a simple reminder to continue to be prepared throughout the year. We encourage individuals to visit the Be Red Cross Ready website to find out ways you can be prepared and to create a family disaster plan. You can visit the website at www.redcross.org/BeRedCrossReady.

Although we are not currently in the direct path of the hurricane, we ask that all volunteers who have not updated their DSHR availabilty to do so by logging onto DSHR site or emailing: deployment@tallyredcross.org.

For more information about Hurricane Ida, you can visit the National Hurricane Center website at: www.nhc.noaa.gov  We will keep everyone posted on any further developments!

Join Us at the Fair!

Join us at the North Florida Fair this year and don’t forget to bring a card(s) for our Holiday Mail For Heroes collection! We’ll have a collection box and some blank cards for those that wish to send a message to our military Heroes. If you don’t have a card, you can still stop by our booth and see us in Building 4. We’ll have plenty of brochures to help your family year-around to keep them safe from natural hazards and a schedule of our community classes!

 

We’ll be at the Fairgrounds from  Thursday Nov 5th through Sunday Nov 15th. Look forward to seeing you all there!

A Big Round of Applause For Our Volunteer Coordinators!

Today is International Volunteer Managers Appreciation Day! We wanted to give a shout out to all of our volunteer coordinators and a special applause to those that are our volunteer-volunteer coordinators!

THANK YOU!

Tropical Storm Ida

A little late in the season, the nineth named storm to form is Tropical Storm Ida at 4pm today. Current forecasts shows that Tropical Storm Ida was located about 75 miles east of Bluefields, Nicaragua and moving towards the west-northwest at 6 mph. A turn to the northwest and a decrease in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days. On the forecast track Ida should make landfall along the east coast of Nicaragua overnight.The maximum sustained winds are 60 mph and the minimum pressure is 996 mb. Some further intensification is possible before landfall.This is a great reminder to all that even in November, we need to still be prepared for possible storms!

Give a bit of Holiday Cheer!

Send a touch of home to the real heroes of America and their families! Holiday Mail for Heroes is back again!

For the third year in a row, the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are working together to collect, sort and distribute holiday cards to service members, veterans and their families.

The Capital Area Chapter of the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will begin accepting cards on November 2, 2009. So get your pens and postage stamps ready and watch for the address in the coming weeks on RedCross.org.

All cards must be postmarked no later than Monday, December 7, 2009. Cards postmarked after December 7 will be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays.

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

If you would like to begin working on your cards now, here are some quick guidelines to ensure your cards makes to a hero as quickly as possible:

Do…

• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Make cards more meaningful to a wide variety of recipients by using “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran” rather than any more specific language. You are encouraged to send holiday-neutral cards rather than religious-themed cards. Note: Cards addressed to specific individuals cannot be delivered through this program.
• Limit the number of cards to 15 from any one person or 50 from any one school class, business or group. If you are mailing a large quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

Do not…

• Send letters. Only cards are being accepted.
• Include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Include cards with excessive amounts of glitter. Because cards may be received by wounded service members and veterans in hospitals, large quantities of glitter could aggravate existing health problems.
• Include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

Holiday Mail for Heroes

Its back and we are looking for your help this year to collect cards for our HEROES–those currently serving or have served in the US Military. Did you know that serving members of the military and their families was the first mission of the American Red Cross more than 125 years ago? More importantly, it remains a core part of the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces mission today.

The United States currently has 1.4 million active duty members, reservists and guards serving within our borders and abroad. Additionally more than 24 million veterans have faithfully served our country in the past. The American Red Cross serves and supports these members of the military, veterans, and their families by providing emergency communications, comfort and assistance everyday. Beginning November 2, the Red Cross is working to increase awareness of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces while also providing those that have sacrificed so much with some holiday cheer.

For the third year in a row, the American Red Cross is partnering with Pitney Bowes, a mailstream technology company, to collect and distribute holiday cards for American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world. Joining the campaign this year as spokesperson is contemporary music artist and fellow celebrity cabinet member Amy Grant.

We’ll be collecting cards starting November 3rd until December 7th. We will have a drop off location both at our Chapter House and at our Booth at the North Florida Fair! Please contact the Katie or Topi at the Chapter for more information about this program!

Be Safe During Halloween

This Halloween, lots of things will go bump in the night. But follow our tricks to make your night one that is safe but satisfyingly scary!

Below is a short clip featuring Health and Safety expert, Connie Harvey, who provides some tips to prepare your family for a safe Halloween night.

The Key to Volunteering?

Pockets. Lots of pockets.

That’s according to Andy, the ex-boyfriend who lives in the pit on NBC’s Parks and Recreation.

And, once again, the Red Cross makes an appearance on primetime during the iParticipate campaign.

Here’s the quote:

“The key to volunteering? A lot of pockets…for putting all the food in. The Red Cross has amazing cookies. I go there all the time!”

You can see it for yourself on Hulu — 2:45 into the episode.

P.S. If you want to volunteer (or just want cookies), I’d suggest going here!

[Original post by Lise Harwin]

“Trick” to Safety this Halloween!

“Trick” to Safety this Halloween Everyone Should Follow the “Lucky 13” 

Ghouls and goblins will take over the night. But even scary creatures need to be safe and celebrate Halloween right. Halloween’s greatest hazards aren’t vampires and villains, but falls, costume mishaps and automobile collisions. The Capital Area Chapter wants your family to have a safe Halloween so we’re providing these tips, the lucky 13:

1. Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!

2. From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!

3. If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.

4. When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.

5. Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing to be seen in the dark! (And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, skateboards and brooms!)

6. Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.

7. As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And cross from the corner!)

8. Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!

9. Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn’t a safety gamble!

10. You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! (And don’t hide between parked vehicles).

11. Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!

12. You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.

13. Have a grown-up inspect your candy when you’re done trick-or-treating to remove open packages and choking hazards before eating.

May your family stay safe this Halloween!!