Roll up your Sleeve and Join the Challenge…

Did You Know? It’s National CPR and AED Awareness Week

National CPR and AED Awareness Week is June 1-7.  This is a great opportunity to spotlight how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED.

Red Cross chapters across the country will conduct CPR/AED classes, demonstrations and events this week to raise awareness on the importance of this lifesaving training.

Are you certified? If not, this week is the perfect time to sign up for training. You can also prepare yourself by downloading the free Red Cross First Aid app, which puts expert advice on everyday emergencies right in your hand.

Don’t wait — make a commitment to get trained and be prepared today!

Red Cross Ready: Easy as 1...2...3

Reblogged from heartofcarolinaregion:

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1. Get a Emergency Supplies Kit

Being prepared with the right emergency supplies can reduce the risk of harm when disaster strikes.

Pack a “Go Bag”

When disasters (fire, flood, hurricane) require a quick evacuation, a “Go Bag”—backpack with emergency supplies/important documents for each household member—is essential.

What’s in a “Go Bag?”

• Water—small bottles
• Food—nonperishable snacks
• Battery-powered radio/flashlight…

Read more… 569 more words

As hurricane season approaches, this information is always good to have on hand...you can also test your knowledge: http://arcbrcr.org/#SITE

Help Continue a Summer of Stories…

Summer is here, and many people have already planned vacations and other activities.  After all, summer is a time to create lifelong memories.  The American Red Cross reminds people to also put donating blood or platelets on their to-do list.  When eligible donors give blood with the Red Cross, they live a story and give a story.  They give patients in need time to make their own memories — like sleeping under the stars, having a picnic and rooting for the home team.

Blood donations often decline during the summer months, when schools are out and regular donors are on vacation.  If at least two more donors give blood at every Red Cross blood drive this summer — above what’s expected — it will help ensure a sufficient blood supply is available, giving patients a chance to create a summer of stories.  Check out videos of individuals whose lives were changed by donors and learn how you can help at redcrossblood.org/summer.

The Nussbaum Blood Center is located in the Greensboro Chapter at 1501 Yanceyville Street in Greensboro and is closed on Sunday. The hours for the center are:

Mondays 2:00pm to 6:30pm

 Tuesdays 1:30pm to 6:30pm

 Wednesdays & Saturdays 8:00am to 1:00pm

 Thursdays 12:30pm to 6:30pm

 Fridays 9:00am to 1:30pm

 The Triad Blood Center is located beside the NWNC Chapter at 650 Coliseum Drive in Winston-Salem and is closed on Saturday. The hours for the center are:

Mondays 1:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:30pm to 5:30pm

Wednesdays & Fridays 8:00 am to 1:00pm

Sunday 10:30am to 3:00pm

The Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region provides lifesaving blood to patients in 103 hospitals. Approximately 1,600 people need to give blood or platelets each week day to meet hospital demands. Blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Platelets can be given every seven days, up to 24 times a year. For more information or to schedule an appointment to donate, please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

Severe Weather Common In Spring – Use Red Cross Safety Tips

We’ve seen the power of April showers in the Midwest…so far, we have deployed six Red Cross volunteers from the Heart of the Carolina Region to help those affected by the floods and rising water.  For the latest on how we are helping, please visit  
http://newsroom.redcross.org/category/disaster-relief-operation/spring-floods-2013/

Closer to home, even though the weather feels more than fall right now, Spring has officially arrived with greenery and colorful flowers.  However, the season can also bring severe weather.  The American Red Cross wants everyone to know what steps they can take to stay safe if dangerous weather is predicted for their community.

 TORNADOES Spring can be the peak season for tornado activity.  Tornadoes occur mostly on warm spring days between 3:00 and 9:00 p.m.  However, tornadoes can occur anywhere, at any time of the year, at any time of the day. The Red Cross has safety steps people should take now to be ready if a tornado warning is issued for someone’s neighborhood:

• Download the free Red Cross tornado app for mobile devices.  The tornado app puts everything you need to know to stay safe in a tornado at your fingertips.  The app can be downloaded from the iTunes or Google Play stores by searching for American Red Cross.
• Know your community’s warning system.
• Pick a safe room in your home where family members can gather if a tornado is headed your way.  This should be a basement, storm cellar or interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
• Prepare for strong winds by removing diseased and damaged limbs from trees.
• Move or secure lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.
• Know the tornado danger signs – dark, often greenish clouds, a wall cloud, cloud of debris, large hail, a funnel cloud or a roaring noise.

 Would you know what to do if a tornado watch or warning is issued?  What’s the best thing to do if you are driving and a tornado occurs?  You’ll find the answers to these questions and more on our web site.

 THUNDERSTORMS Thunderstorms are most likely to happen in the spring and summer, during the afternoon and evening.  However, like tornadoes, they can happen anywhere, at any hour of the day.  Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people every year that tornadoes or hurricanes.  The Red Cross has steps you can take if a thunderstorm is predicted for your area:

• If thunder roars, go indoors. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be in danger from lightning.
• Watch for storm signs like darkening skies, flashes of lightning or increasing winds.
• Postpone any outdoor activities.  Many people who are struck by lightning are not where it is raining.
• Take shelter in a substantial building or a vehicle with the windows closed.  Shutter windows and close outside doors securely.  Stay away from windows.
• Do not take a bath, shower or use plumbing.

 If you are outside or driving, there are things you should do to remain safe.  Information about what to do before, during and after a thunderstorm is available on this web site.

 FLOODING Spring can be a time of year for flooding.  Communities in the Midwest and south have already seen floodwaters inundate neighborhoods.  Snow melt and heavy spring rains fill rivers and streams and flooding can occur. Flash floods occur suddenly when water rises rapidly along a stream or low-lying area.  People should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice and head for higher ground when a flood or flash flood warning is issued.  Other safety steps include

• Stay away from floodwaters.  If you come upon a flowing stream where water is above your ankles, stop, turn around and go another way.  Six inches of swiftly moving water can sweep you off of your feet.
• If you come upon a flooded road while driving, turn around and go another way.  If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground.  Most cars can be swept away by less than two feet of moving water.
• Keep children out of the water.  They are curious and often lack judgment about running water or contaminated water.
• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood danger.

 DOWNLOAD APPS FOR MOBILE DEVICES The Red Cross first aid app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies at someone’s fingertips.  The shelter finder lets someone know where Red Cross shelters are open.  The free apps can be downloaded from the iTunes or Google Play stores by searching for American Red Cross.

May is National Water Safety Month

Even though the weather isn’t cooperating right now, the month of May (also known as National Water Safety Month) is the perfect time to ensure you and your family are prepared to spend a fun, safe day by the water.

And the American Red Cross can help!

Contact your local aquatic facility to find Lifeguarding and Swimming classes provided by Red Cross instructors, including:

• Learn to Swim Course
• Preschool Aquatics (Swimming Course for Children)
• Parent and Child Aquatics
• Home Pool Essentials
• Safety Training for Swim Coaches and Instructors

Swimming is the most popular summer activity. While the best thing you can do to help your family stay safe is to enroll in age-appropriate swim lessons, it is also important to follow these water safety tips whenever you are in, on or around water:

• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
• Always swim with a buddy
• Never leave a young child unattended near water
• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
• Establish water safety rules for your family and enforce them without fail.
• If you go boating, wear a life jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.
• Avoid alcohol use. Alcohol impairs judgment, balance and coordination; affects swimming and diving skills; and reduces the body’s ability to stay warm.

 Take a minute today to sign up for a swimming course and review water safety tips before summer arrives and have a safe & happy summer from your friends at the Red Cross!

Heart of Carolina Training – May 2013

Red Cross Celebrates Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

 

This National Volunteer Week, April 21-27, the Heart of Carolina Region is celebrating its dedicated volunteers and partners.  These volunteers power the American Red Cross, making it possible for the organization to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.

Last year, Red Cross volunteers throughout our Heart of Carolina Region brought food, shelter, comfort and hope to nearly 600 local families faced with rebuilding after fires and floods.  We also trained nearly 20,000 people in lifesaving skills through Red Cross courses; provided 3,445 services to military members, veterans and families, including emergency communications; and collected more than 101,000 pints of blood from tens of thousands of volunteer blood donors at the hundreds of community blood drives held throughout our region. 

Additionally, our Rockingham County chapter provides much needed food and necessities to 500+ families a month through its food pantry.  Together, we turn compassion into action with the support of more than 1,600 volunteers and through the generosity of our community.      

 Right now, Red Cross volunteers across the country are helping those in need in the aftermath of the plant explosion in West, Texas; flooding in the Midwest and with a family assistance center in Boston.  For the latest details on how we’re helping, please visit:  
http://newsroom.redcross.org/

Volunteers are central to the work of the Red Cross throughout our Heart of Carolina Region and in communities across the country, as on average, the Red Cross has 15 volunteers for every one employee.  According to the Independent Sector, the 2012 value of volunteer time is $22.14/hour, further evidence of the tremendous value and impact volunteers hold for nonprofits such as the Red Cross. 

Now, volunteering for the Red Cross is easier than ever thanks to a new system called Volunteer Connection.  This online system is easy to use and better allows new volunteers to match their skills and interests to needs across the organization.

People interested in volunteering can go to www.redcross.org/support/volunteer to search and apply for opportunities in their community.  The Volunteer Connection System was made possible thanks to a generous grant from W.W. Grainger, Inc.

 Red Cross volunteers are united by their service and the feeling that in changing others’ lives, their lives are also changed.  To learn more, visit www.redcross.org/support/volunteer or contact your local chapter at
http://www.redcross.org/nc/greensboro/locations

 About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.  The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.  For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at
http://blog.redcross.org
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