March is Red Cross Month and throughout the Month we will be promoting our programs and services and asking the community to come forward and support our mission.
Armed Forces Emergency Services commended.
As a physician and, since 2003, as a member of Congress, Michael Burgess has had a professional relationship with the American Red Cross for many years. But it was as the father of an Air Force avionics technician that he came to appreciate the Red Cross on a personal level.
“My wife’s father died when my son was stationed in New Mexico,” he says. “He was able to get back home before we sent a message through the Red Cross, but to know the service was available and there for us was a big comfort.”
Burgess was reminded of that incident recently when Matt Johnson, an aide in his Capitol Hill office, mentioned that he had used Red Cross emergency communications services while stationed in Missouri with the Marines. Wanting to honor the Red Cross for its assistance to military personnel and their families, Burgess introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives commending the emergency communications program and underscoring its value.
“When all other communication fails, the Red Cross is there,” the resolution states. “Whether that service member is a reservist in two weeks of Arctic training in Alaska, a sailor on a ship in the Indian Ocean, or a member of an advanced team on patrol in Iraq, the Red Cross messaging system can communicate messages between family members when and where other civilian services cannot.”
The resolution also notes that in emergency situations, the Red Cross verifies the emergency and provides objective third-party information to commanding officers so they can make decisions about granting leave. As a physician in Texas prior to running for Congress, Burgess was asked many times to provide such information. He says. “The Red Cross always performed in these situations. I don’t recall that there was ever a situation where the Red Cross was not able to get message to a service member so their commander could release them to get back to where he or she was needed.”
If you would be interested in helping in this department after office hours, please contact the Clearfield-Jefferson Red Cross office at 765-54516 or 849-2712.
There will be a Red Cross Auction held at the St. Charles Café to benefit the Clearfield-Jefferson Chapter American Red Cross on March 28, 2008. Preview and Hors d’ oeuvres at 5:00PM and the Auction begins at 7:00PM. Items from local businesses, crafters, local artist paintings, National artist prints and more will be auctioned. We have an Antique table, 2 antique chairs, a rocking horse, handmade rocking chair, a 32 inch HD TV,
Overnight bed & Breakfast coupons, gas cards, 1.6 scale NASCAR remote control cars ad Jeeps, a handmade cabinet and quilt rack, several handmade quilts and much more. Items will be posted on our website as they are received in the office. Go to our web site at www.clearfieldjeffersonredcross.org for an itemized list and preview. Tickets are $12.00 and are available at the Red Cross offices in Clearfield, 765-5516 and in Brookville, 849-2712.
Health & Safety Classes:
Adult CPR – Clearfield –March 19 and April 2, 2008
Brookville – April 9, 2008
Punxsutawney – April 7, 2008
Infant Child CPR – April 3, 2008
First Aid – Clearfield – March 20, 2008
Brookville – April 10, 2008
Punxsutawney – April 8, 2008
All of the above Health & Safety classes begin at 6:00 pm.
Call 765-5516 to register for classes in Clearfield or 849-2712 to register in Brookville & Punxsutawney.
CPR for the Professional Rescuer recertification/refresher class for lifeguards is scheduled for April 26 at 9:00 a.m. Call 765-5516 to register. A limited number of classes will be held. Please try to get an early start!
Visit the Clearfield-Jefferson Chapter Web site for all the local Red Cross news.
Clearfield Bloodmobile Schedule
Mar. 10 West Side United Methodist Church 12:00 – 6:00
Mar. 10 Ridgeview Elder Care 10:00 – 3:30
Mar. 19 Quehanna Boot Camp 10:00 – 3:30
Mar. 21 Fixed Site 12:00 – 6:00
Jefferson Bloodmobile Schedule
Mar. 11 Saint Tobias Church Brockway Noon-6 p.m.
Mar 14 Bethel Baptist Church-Sykesville Noon-6 p.m.
Mar 14 Calvary church of the Nazarine Noon-6 p.m.
Mar 14 Punxsutawney Christian School Noon -6 p.m.
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, nearly a million volunteers and employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and delivered messages service members separated from their families. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
By supporting the American Red Cross you provide the vital funds necessary to support all of our core services. Checks may be sent to Clearfield-Jefferson Chapter, 1100 S. Second St. Suite 2, Clearfield, Pa 16830, or Clearfield-Jefferson Chapter, 275 Main St., Brookville, Pa 15825. VISA and MasterCard are accepted.
Red Cross is a United Way and United Fund Participating Agency and an RSVP Station.