Red Cross Helps Kids Build Preparedness Backpacks
“Emergencies can happen on a moment’s notice. To cope with emergency situations, children need basic disaster response skills and age appropriate activities and supplies,” said Katie Kang, regional director of Volunteer and Youth Services for the Greater Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Teens in high school Red Cross Clubs in the Long Beach area are helping to ensure that children in their community have the information and equipment they need. The young philanthropists host an annual party at which elementary school children learn how to be prepared for emergencies; they also fill a personal backpack with emergency supplies.
Vicki Tang, a member of the Long Beach Polytechnic High School Red Cross Club, talks about the “smiles and laughter” as dozens of kids went from table to table getting the supplies to fill their packs. Stickers, magic markers and crayons decorated flashlights, water bottles, first aid kits, and more.
Earlier, members of each high school Red Cross club was asked to provide one of the backpack items, including bars of soap, batteries, toothbrushes, tooth paste and granola bars. A dance attended by more than 200 young Red Cross volunteers raised the money for the backpacks.
Volunteers decorated until 10:00 p.m. the night before, and were back at 7:00 a.m. the next day to get a briefing and their assignments. As families arrived, each child was introduced to a personal escort who accompanied them through the activities, while parents attended an emergency preparedness briefing. Teens fluent in Spanish and in Khamer were on hand to escort Latin and Cambodian children who did not speak English.
One table was piled with colorful whistles and bowls of beads. As kids glued beads on their whistles, they learned that a whistle makes it easier to be found if they are stranded in a fire or building collapse. At another table children decorated a mini first aid kit with stickers, learned how to use each item in the kit and when to call 9-1-1. At another stop they made maps of their homes and decided the best emergency escape route.
No child’s disaster backpack is complete without something to occupy the long hours of emergency sheltering. So, at the end of the trip, each child received a toy, along with instructions that if they took the toy out of the backpack to play with, they needed to replace it with another toy.
“You never know what kind of a difference you can make in people’s lives,” said Faviolanny Rath, this year’s youth chair, “but this event sure felt like we did.”
Going Once, Going Twice….Save the Date
We are excited to announce the upcoming Annual Red Cross Auction on Saturday, April 21, 2012, at the St, Charles Café in Clearfield. Highlights will include a Silent, Chinese and Live auction along with the popular Balloon Pop. The preview of items will be from 5:00-7:00, and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. The live auction will begin at 7:00. Ticket are $12.00 and available at the office 109 North Brady Street Suite 2 DuBois or the night of the Auction.
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.
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, February 14 Brookville Presbyterian Church Brookville
Tuesday, February 21 Glad Tidings Church Clearfield
Tuesday, February 28 Chapter office DuBois
Tuesday, March 6 American Legion St. Marys
Schedule is subject to change.
Red Cross Partnerships
The PA Heartland Chapter partners with other service organizations to provide disaster services. These partnerships help us avoid duplication of services thus reducing expenses, share areas of strength to support disaster victims, and assist communities in building resiliency. If you are part of an organization that is involved in disaster assistance in any way and are interested in partnering with the American Red Cross, Please contact Patti Micale, Emergency Services Director at 814-371-2750 x 106 for more information.
Blood Services
Clearfield County Bloodmobile Schedule
2/13 DuBois Catholic School 3 pm – 7 pm
2/17 440 Front St. Clearfield Fixed Site Noon – 6 pm
2/20 DuBois VFW 1 pm – 7 pm
2/27 Karthaus Community Alliance Church 1 pm – 7 pm
2/27 Lock Haven Clearfield Campus 10 am – 4 pm
2/28 DuBois St. Catherine Church Noon – 6 pm
Jefferson County Bloodmobile Schedule
2/14 Punxsutawney SSCD Church Noon – 6 pm
2/15 Brockway Highland View Health Care Noon – 6 pm
2/16 Brookville EUM Church Noon – 6 pm
Elk and Cameron Counties Bloodmobile Schedule
2/8 St. Marys Moose Club 10 am – 4 pm
2/9 Emporium VFW 11:30 am – 5:30 pm
2/10 Johnsonburg Senior Center 10 am – 3 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 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.