Office Closed for MLK Day
The PA Heartland chapter office will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday, January 17. Disaster volunteers will be on call in case of an emergency.
Local Red Cross Chapter and Amateur Radio Club Sign Agreement
DuBois, PA – January 5, 2012 American Red Cross PA Heartland Chapter Executive Director Bob Newell and Quad-County Amateur Radio Club President Joe Shupienis met to discuss ways each organization can support the missions of the other. Said Shupienis, “We both serve the public, and each group has unique strengths to share with the other.”
“It’s a perfect fit!” explained Newell, “We both provide our services to the same area.”
During times of disaster, both groups are called into action to serve the needs of disaster victims in stricken areas. The Red Cross has a long tradition of providing disaster relief services, including humanitarian aid and relief services to those affected by disasters. Amateur Radio is often the only reliable means of long-range communication into and out of a stricken area when all the usual forms of communication have been destroyed or overloaded.
The two organizations signed a Statement of Cooperation, a local extension of the national level Memorandum of Understanding between American Red Cross and the American Radio Relay League, the national organization for amateur radio™. The agreement specifies ways each organization can help the other carry out their common missions and goals, and identifies opportunities for cross-training that each organization can provide for the other.
“Amateur Radio has a long history of public service,” said Shupienis. “Hams often provide the only communications into and within a stricken area, such as the rescue and recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina.
“Radio Amateurs are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to own and operate powerful radio equipment on a wide range of frequencies with a flexible operational structure equaled only by the armed forces,” he continued. Hams are well known for their unique ability to communicate around the corner and around the world, and make their communications services available to their neighbors and communities in times of need.”
The PA Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross is headquartered in downtown DuBois and serves Elk, Cameron, Jefferson and northwestern Clearfield County. The chapter was created on May 1, 2011 by the merging of the Clearfield-Jefferson, DuBois, and Elk-Cameron Counties Chapters. “The history of the local chapters extends back to 1917,” said Newell. More information is available at www.arcpaheartland.org and at www.redcross.org.
The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club serves Clearfield, Jefferson Elk and Cameron Counties, and was founded in DuBois on April 17, 1975. The club offers free classes to prepare for license exams, promotes proper and effective use of communications technology, and conducts public service activities to help members gain practical experience in providing communications for the public and served agencies. More information is available at www.qcarc.org, and at www.arrl.org.
American Red Cross PA Heartland Chapter Executive Director Bob Newell and Quad-County Amateur Radio Club President Joe Shupienis sign a Statement of Cooperation between the two organizations
NEW FACEBOOK PAGE
The chapter is working to consolidate and update its presence on Facebook. Our current Facebook pages will be going away in the near future. Please look for us at www.facebook.com/ARCPAHeartland. Be sure and like us when you visit our page.
Follow us on Twitter @ARC_PAHeartland and Facebook at “American Red Cross PA Heartland” Facebook Page.
Disaster Services:
Volunteers from across the four counties continue to provide disaster services to those in need.
In the last six months of 2011, disaster volunteers from the PA Heartland Chapter responded to 27 disaster calls, provided assistance to 86 individuals and provided $17,908 in financial assistance.
The American Red Cross provides financial support for food, clothing, shelter and other emergency needs to victims of disasters. The American Red Cross partners with other organizations to avoid duplication of services.
Monthly disaster team meetings allow for volunteers to gather to discuss recent disaster responses, learn new disaster operation techniques or practice on current ones, find out about other Red Cross volunteer opportunities and network with other volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a Red Cross disaster volunteer, you are invited to attend a Disaster team meeting in your area or contact the chapter office for more information. All meetings start at 6:00 PM.
Tuesday, January 10 Brookville Presbyterian Church Brookville
Tuesday, January 17 Glad Tidings Church Clearfield
Tuesday, January 24 Chapter office DuBois
Tuesday, February 7 American Legion St. Marys
Schedule is subject to change.
Blood Services
Clearfield County Bloodmobile Schedule
1/10 DuBois Nursing Home 10 am – 4 pm
1/12 Treasure Lake Church 1 pm – 7 pm
1/18 DuBois St. Michael Church 1 pm – 7 pm
1/20 440 Front St. Clearfield Fixed Site Noon – 6 pm
1/30 Penn State DuBois 10 am – 4 pm
Jefferson County Bloodmobile Schedule
1/11 Brookville Heritage House Noon – 6 pm
1/20 Brookville Church of God Noon – 6 pm
1/20 Sykesville American Legion Noon – 6 pm
1/24 Brockway Presbyterian Church Noon – 6 pm
1/27 Punxsy First United Methodist Church Noon – 6 pm
1/31 Reynoldsville St. Mary’s Church 1 pm – 7 pm
Elk and Cameron Counties Bloodmobile Schedule
1/10 Kersey Senior Center 2 pm – 6:30 pm
1/11 St. Marys Moose Club 10 am – 4 pm
1/12 Weedville American Legion 1 pm – 6 pm
1/13 Ridgway Central Hose Company 11:30 am – 4:30 pm
Schedule is subject to change.
Call 1-800-733-2767 to schedule appointments or visit the
E-donor site at www.redcrossblood.org. Call 1-866-236-3276 to ask questions about donating blood.
Health & Safety Class Schedule:
Evening classes run 6:00 pm till 9:30pm and daytime classes run 9:00 am till 3:30 pm unless otherwise noted.
Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Saturday, Jan 14 (Day) Chapter Classroom
Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Wednesday, Jan 25 (Evening) Chapter Classroom
Thursday, Jan 26
Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Saturday, Feb 11 (Day) Chapter Classroom
Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Tuesday, Feb 21 (Evening) Chapter Classroom
Wednesday, Feb 22
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer Friday, Feb 24 (Day) Chapter Classroom
Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Tuesday, Mar 20 (Evening) Chapter Classroom
Wednesday, Mar 21
First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Tuesday, Mar 13 8:30 am – 1:30 pm Web based
Wednesday, Mar 14 8:30 am – 1:30 pm & Classroom
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer Saturday, Mar 23 (Day) Chapter Classroom
Schedule is subject to change.
Visit www.redcross.org to see a complete schedule of classes, pricing and to register for classes or call 1-800-REDCROSS. Pre-registration for community classes is required. Minimum registration requirements for classes will be followed. Options for on-line “Blended” classes are available.
The PA Heartland Chapter is part of the Western PA Region of the American Red Cross. With regional leadership provided out of the Pittsburgh office, the Greater Erie County, the Corry, Warren County, Allegheny Region, ARC of McKean and Potter and the ARC of the PA Heartland work together with the Butler-Mercer County, Westmoreland-Chestnut Ridge, Indiana, Keystone, and Southwestern Penn Chapters to ensure that Red Cross services are available in the most efficient and caring way possible.
The ARC of the PA Heartland Chapter is a United Way and United Fund Participating Agency and RSVP Station.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
Support the American Red Cross! Checks may be sent to PA Heartland Chapter, 109 N Brady Street, Suite 2, DuBois, PA 15801.
Contact the Chapter office at info@arcpaheartland.org or by calling 371-2750 or 1-800-REDCROSS (733-2767) opt 6.
Follow us on Twitter @ARC_PAHeartland and like us at our “American Red Cross PA Heartland” Facebook Page.
