Local NEWS 

PA Heartland Chapter Board Meets.

The regular meeting of the American Red Cross PA Heartland Chapter board met on September 22, 2011 at the Kopper Kettle in Johnsonburg.  The board discussed a range of issues facing the chapter including service delivery, volunteer recruitment, fundraising, and fall activities.  

Experience Works Opportunities Available with Chapter.

Do you know someone who is 55 years of age or older, unemployed with little or no income, in urgent need of a job? if so they might qualify for the Experience Works Senior Community Service Employment Program. For more information visit www.experienceworks.org or call 866-976-5939. 

Volunteers needed: Here is a list of upcoming events and activities in which we will need volunteers.  Please call the chapter and let us know where you can help.  As always, we can schedule your volunteer experience to fit your schedule and interests. 

Clearfield Revitalization Corporation-1^st Annual Fall Festival

Saturday, October 8, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Clearfield 

Recovery Resources Provider Festival

Tuesday, October 11, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Christian Missionary Alliance Church Fellowship Hall, DuBois 

Blood Screening/Health Fair

Saturday, October 15, 6:00 am – 10:00 am

DuBois Nursing Home

Health Fair – OSRAM Sylvania

Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 am – 4:00 pm

St. Marys 

Health Fair – Knight of Columbus

Saturday, November 5, 8:00 am – Noon

Clearfield 

Follow us on Twitter @ARC_PAHeartland and Facebook at “ARC of the PA Heartland” Facebook Page. 

Represent and support your local Red Cross by ordering a “Heroes Within” tee today. Visit www.threadless.com and search for “Heroes within”.

National Red Cross NEWS

October is Fire Prevention Month

October is Fire Prevention Month and the American Red Cross is encouraging people to take steps to lessen the risk of a fire in their home.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are between 350,000 and 400,000 house fires in the United States every year. Home fires are the biggest disaster threat to families in this country, above floods and hurricanes.

That’s why the American Red Cross is encouraging people to remember two key fire safety steps: installing smoke alarms and developing a fire escape plan.

“The Red Cross responded to more than 62,960 home fires in fiscal year 2011,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president, Red Cross Disaster Services. “Fires strike suddenly and spread quickly. It’s important to take simple steps now to protect the members of your household. During a fire, every second counts and being prepared can greatly reduce the effects of these devastating disasters.”

It is recommended that people check each smoke alarm in their home by pushing the test button at least once a month and replacing batteries every year, or as needed. Fire escape plans should include at least two escape routes from every room in the home and a convenient meeting place at a safe distance from the home. Practice the escape plan at least twice a year and revise as necessary. Families are encouraged to pay particular attention to developing and regularly practicing escape plans for children and older adults.

Additional recommendations include:

• Keep matches and lighters away from and out of reach of children.
• Don’t leave the kitchen, and don’t leave the home while you’re frying, grilling or broiling food.
• Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire department from a neighbor’s home.

During Fire Prevention Month, visit www.redcross.org for more steps people can take to lessen the chance of a fire in their home.

Families Look To Red Cross For Help After Losing Everything in PA Flooding

Shawn Norris spent Wednesday night in an American Red Cross shelter near Wilkes-Barre, Pa. after he and his family lost everything in the devastating flooding which inundated central and northeastern Pennsylvania three weeks ago.

Shawn shared a home with his mother, grandmother and great aunt on land situated between the Susquehanna River and Shickshinny Creek. Both waterways overflowed their banks, covering the Norris home with water and mud. The family lost everything. “I want my mother to have some shoes,” Shawn said. Her shoes were so waterlogged they burst at the seams. “I am so happy to have a roof over our heads and that everyone is safe,” he said, expressing his gratitude to the Red Cross for providing his family with a safe place to stay.

Angela Sims and her one-year-old son Ayden have also spent the last three weeks in a Red Cross shelter near Wilkes-Barre. Flood waters invaded their home which has now been condemned. “I am so grateful for the Red Cross. Without them I don’t know where we would be,” she said. “We lost everything. The only things we salvaged were some of Ayden’s toys and a few clothes. I don’t know where we will go when the shelter closes.”

In Pennsylvania, the Red Cross has provided more than 7,790 overnight stays in 69 shelters since the onset of the flooding. Last night 60 people spent the night in the four shelters still operating as part of the flood relief operation. The Red Cross sent 98 emergency response vehicles into the state and more than 1,600 Red Cross workers traveled to Pennsylvania, where they have served more than 379,500 meals and snacks and distributed more than 120,000 clean-up and comfort kits.

The Red Cross also has shelters open in New York, where 42 people spent Wednesday night, and in North Dakota, where more than 140 people continue to look to the Red Cross for shelter months after floodwaters covered their Minot neighborhoods.

Fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes have led to 93 Red Cross disaster relief operations over the last six months in 42 different states and territories. In response to these disasters, the Red Cross has:

• Opened nearly 900 shelters and provided 121,000 overnight stays.
• Served more than 6.3 million meals and snacks.
• Handed out more than 2.5 million relief items.
• Provided more than 128,000 health and mental health consultations.
• Opened 15,000 cases to help people recover.
• Deployed 24,000 trained disaster workers, of which 89 percent were volunteers.

You can read more about the Red Cross response to hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee here. 

Disaster Services:

Notes of Appreciation

I just wanted to send a message to thank everyone at the Red Cross for the help I received.  On 9/19/11 my house burnt down in Hyde, PA.  I’m a single mom to a 6 year old and we both made it out safely but almost everything we had was destroyed.  Sherry Hoover, a Red Cross volunteer from the local chapter showed up quickly, was so comforting and helpful, and the financial help as well as the hotel room was so much needed and appreciated.  Without it we would have had no place to go and not a lot of money for food or clothes or other necessities.  I thank you with all my heart for helping us through this.  The Red Cross and all your volunteers are a blessing.  Thanks again.

Leah Thompson, Hyde 

Thank you for your assistance the night our house burned.  It was so wonderful to see a friendly face in the midst of all the chaos. Mr. Anderson, a Red Cross volunteer, made sure we had a place to stay, food to eat and a way to get some clean clothes to wear.  When you think of Red Cross you think of blood mobiles but the Red Cross was truly a blessing that night. 

Nancy Bodine, Ridgway. 

Volunteers from across the four counties continue to provide disaster services to those in need.  In July, volunteers responded to three local disasters and provided food, shelter, and clothing to those in need.  

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, October 11                       Brookville Presbyterian Church                                  Brookville 

Wednesday, October 12                 808 S Michael Road                                                        St. Marys 

Tuesday, October 18                       Glad Tidings Church                                                       Clearfield 

Tuesday, October 25                       Chapter office                                                                    DuBois 

Schedule is subject to change.     

Blood Services

Clearfield County Bloodmobile Schedule 

Friday, Oct 7                      440 Front Street                                                Clearfield             Noon – 6:00 pm 

Monday, Oct 10                 Curwensville United Methodist Church  Curwensville      Noon – 6:00 pm                                               

                                                DuBois American Legion                              DuBois                 Noon – 6:00 pm 

Wednesday, Oct12           Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church   Karthaus              2:00 pm – 7:00 pm 

Monday, Oct 17                 Lock Haven Univ, Clearfield Campus       Clearfield             10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Friday, Oct 21                    440 Front Street                                                Clearfield             Noon – 6:00 pm 

Tuesday, Oct 25                Clearfield Masonic Lodge                              Clearfield             1:00 pm – 7:00 pm 

Wednesday, Oct 26         Bigler YMCA                                                       Bigler                    Noon – 6:00 pm 

                                                Lowes (by Appointment only)                    DuBois                 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

                                                call 800-733-2767 

Thursday, Oct 27              DuBois YMCA                                                    DuBois                 11:00 am – 4:30 pm 

                                                Grampian Community Building                 Grampian            12:30 pm – 6:00 pm 

Friday, Oct 28                    DuBois Wal-Mart (by appointment only) DuBois                               Noon – 5:00 pm

                                                call 800-733-2767

Jefferson County Bloodmobile Schedule 

Tuesday, Oct 11                 Punxsutawney SSCD                                       Punxsutawney  Noon – 6:00 pm 

Thursday, Oct 13              Brockway American Legion                          Brockway             Noon – 6:00 pm               

                                                Brookville EUM Church                                 Brookville            Noon – 6:00 pm 

Friday, Oct 14                    IUP, Punxsutawney, Room 122                   Punxsutawney  1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Elk and Cameron Counties Bloodmobile Schedule 

Wednesday, Oct 12          St. Marys Moose Club                                     St. Marys             10:00 am – 4:00 pm 

Thursday, Oct 13              Emporium VFW                                               Emporium          11:30 am – 5:30 pm 

Friday, Oct 14                    Johnsonburg Senior Center                          Johnsonburg      10:00 am – 3:00 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 Classes

Evening classes run 6:00 pm till 9:30pm and daytime classes run 9:00 am till 3:30 pm unless otherwise noted. 

Adult CPR/Infant Child CPR/AED/First Aid         Tuesday, Oct 4                  (Evening)            Chapter Training room

                                                                                                Thursday, Oct 6 

CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer                    Wednesday, Oct 12          (Day)                     Chapter Training room 

Adult CPR/Infant Child CPR/AED/First Aid         Saturday, Oct 22               (Day)                     Chapter Training room 

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 Northwestern PA Region of the American Red Cross.  With the Greater Erie County Chapter as the lead, the Corry, Warren County, Allegheny Region, ARC of McKean and Potter and the PA Heartland work together to ensure that Red Cross services are available in the most efficient and caring way possible. 

Red Cross 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 Facebook at “ARC of the PA Heartland” Facebook Page.