2012 Cell Phones for Soldiers

			Southern Missouri Region 1545 N. West Bypass Springfield MO 65803 417-832-9500 Ext. 107 Contact:  Nigel Holderby nigel.holderby@redcross.org

Red Cross Helps Collect Cell Phones for Soldiers

 

American Red Cross; Southern Missouri Region 5/24/12 – The month of May has been designated as National Military Appreciation Month since 1999. In honor of those who fight to protect our freedom, we are joining the cause to provide a free means of communication to the men and women serving in the United States Military.

 

American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces has provided humanitarian support to the United States military, veterans and their families under a trusted symbol for almost 130 years. Through this program, the Red Cross provides emergency communications, supports military and veteran hospitals and health care facilities as well as providing social services to the more than 2 million military members including National Guard and Reservists, 23 million veterans and their 3 million family members.

 

As a way to continue our support for our military members, Red Cross Volunteers in Springfield, MO will be setting up a collection table for Cell Phones for Soldiers, a non-profit organization that collects and recycles old cell phones and turns the donations into prepaid calling cards. Founded in 2004, Cell Phones for Soldiers has raised more than $7 million in donations and distributed more than 2,000,000 prepaid calling cards to troops overseas.

 

Stop by the Red Cross table, Saturday 5/26 at Dillons, 1707 W. Battlefield in Springfield from 9 am – 4 pm. Drop off your old cell phones to honor and support our military men and women!

 

 

 

 

For additional information please contact Nigel Holderby: nigel.holderby@redcross-ozarks.org

 

About the American Red Cross:

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.

 

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Red Cross Assistance at South Jefferson Apartment Fire

			Southern Missouri Region 1545 N. West Bypass Springfield MO 65803 417-832-9500 Ext. 107 Contact:  Nigel Holderby kendra.holderby@redcross.org

Red Cross Volunteers Respond to Early Morning Fire

 

American Red Cross; Southern Missouri Region 5/21/12

 

American Red Cross Volunteers responded to the early morning apartment fire at 908 S. Jefferson that left approximately 25 individuals in our community with no home. Red Cross assistance through the generosity of the donors in our community will mean that they have a place to go.

 

Red Cross Volunteers met with the victims to identify emergency needs and will be providing assistance in the form of money for shelter, food and clothing. One of the apartment residents told me that she was so thankful that the firefighters had saved her little dog. “He is all I have left after the fire, but stuff is stuff and it can be replaced.” She was able to take her furry friend with her to a hotel where she will be able to start the process of getting her life back in order.

 

Over the next few days a Red Cross caseworker will work with the individuals to help them with details as they put their lives back together. Things like, how to get a driver’s license replaced or who to call about replacing a birth certificate and social security card.  Step by step our volunteers are here to make that process less stressful.

 

When disaster strikes, the Red Cross is there. The Red Cross in Southern Missouri responds to approximately 2 house fires every day. You can help by making a $10 donation to the American Red Cross with a text or a phone call. Text the word REDCROSS to 90999 or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

 

 

For additional information please contact Nigel Holderby: holderbyn@redcross-ozarks.org

 

About the American Red Cross:

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.

 

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NEW Ready Rating Resources

			Southern Missouri Region 1545 N. West Bypass Springfield MO 65803 417-832-9500 Ext. 107 Contact:  Nigel Holderby kendra.holderby@redcross.org

New American Red Cross Online Tools Help Businesses and Schools Prepare for Emergencies

Ready Rating program expands with Emergency Response Plan and Resource Center offerings

American Red Cross, Southern Missouri Region 5/18/2012 — The American Red Cross has launched a new collection of free, online tools to help businesses, schools and other organizations prepare for emergencies. These enhancements to the Red Cross Ready Rating™ program offer specific steps that organizations can take to be better prepared.

The new features include:

·         An Emergency Response Plan Tool, which enables program members to build a customized plan to help their employees know their roles in the first 24-72 hours of an emergency;

·         A Next Steps report that recommends specific actions members should take and the level of effort required to execute them;

·         A Resource Center that includes preparedness tools including activities and exercises, so businesses, employees and students can better develop and practice preparedness plans;

·         A Ready Rating Store with emergency supplies at the click of a button;

·         An enhanced user experience that enables easier sign up and access to all tools available.

Emergencies like power outages, water main breaks and medical emergencies can disrupt daily operations. Disasters like tornados, floods, earthquakes and fires have the potential to cause workplaces to fold and schools to close. In an effort to better prepare for such events, Ready Rating members complete a confidential assessment of their current readiness level for emergencies and receive immediate, customized feedback with tips and resources for them to improve their readiness scores.

More than 1,300 businesses and organizations and nearly 450 schools are already Ready Rating members. Members have increased their assessment scores – some by as much as 42 percent. 93 percent of members rate the service as good to excellent.

The Ready Rating program is consistent with Private Sector or PS-Prep Standards developed by the Department of Homeland Security. Anheuser-Busch Companies is the program’s national founding sponsor and Sam’s Club is a national sponsor.

More information about this valuable program and the new components can be found at readyrating.org

About the American Red Cross:

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.

 

In Service,

 

K. Nigel Holderby

Chief Communications Officer

 

American Red Cross

Southern Missouri Region

(417) 832-9500 ext 107 (p) 

(417) 207-6349 (c)

 

 

 

Red Cross SAF Gives Hope

Brytain Geary was a US Army soldier stationed at Fort Hood, TX when he found out he had a brain tumor.  He and his wife Marla, who worked for the Post Exchange on base, have a six month old daughter, Madilyn. Brytian has a dog, named Chief who was supplied to him through America’s Vet Dogs.  Chief has lived with him for a year and alerts Brytian of on-coming seizures that he suffers as a side effect of the brain tumor.

It has been a tough financial road for the Geary’s since his illness.  Brytian was medically discharged from the Army and has medical bills that exceeded the Tri-Care cap. The military told them to save up at least 3 months’ worth of expenses to live on after he was medically separated from the Army but it was 6 months before they began getting his retirement pay. During that time they lived with family but even with their families help the medical bills were overwhelming them. They voluntarily let one of their vehicles go back to the dealer and continued to pay on the medical bills.

The heat in Texas had a negative effect on Brytain’s health due to the metal plates attached to his skull during his brain surgery. Needing a better climate and wanting a good place to raise Madilyn, they decided to move. Knowing that they would need to be near a Veteran’s Medical Facility and wanting to be closer to Marla’s older daughter, who lives in Michigan, they chose Springfield, Missouri as their new home. It took all of their savings to move to Springfield, and when they rented a house it was without a refrigerator or stove. Upon moving in, a gas leak was discovered in the house so they had to eat out for a few weeks while they waited for the landlord to fix the leak. Now their savings was gone and Brytian was not yet getting his medical retirement pay from the Army while still waiting on VA disability pay to begin.

In March, 2012, Brytian called USAA to ask for help with their finances and was referred to the American Red Cross for help.  After calling the Red Cross, Military Casework Volunteer, Dawn Tomoson, helped them out with a local grant for service members that could be used for a stove and refrigerator. The gas leak had finally been fixed so when Dawn found the used appliances at C&C Appliance, Brytian and Marla were able to cook their own meals again.

In April, they were still struggling with financial problems.  Brytian called 877-272-7337, the American Red Cross Service to The Armed Forces (SAF) hotline, to see if they would qualify for any additional assistance. After providing the SAF team with their financial records, the Geary’s were granted a no-interest loan to help pay their rent and car payment. “If it wasn’t for the Red Cross we would still be suffering” said Brytain. The Geary’s have a positive outlook for the future.  They expect the VA will begin paying them his disability payments soon, and Brytian plans to start attending college this fall with his GI Bill.

Story By: Dawn Tomoson

Photo by: Nigel Holderby

AHA and ARC Urge Senate to Reinstate CPR Requirement in HB 1337

                                

American Heart Association Media Contact:                                                     American Red Cross Media Contact:   
Stephen Hall – 417-551-1645                                                                              STL Peggy Barnhart – 314-406-1920

                                                                                                                        SGF Nigel Holderby – 417-207-6349

NEWS RELEASE

American Heart Association and American Red Cross Urge
Reinstatement of CPR Training Requirement in House Bill 1337
Lifesaving law would equip 70,000 Missouri high school students
with new Hands-Only CPR skills each year, doubling cardiac arrest survival rates

Jefferson City, MO – Monday, May 7, 2012: In an effort to save lives, the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross strongly urge the Missouri Senate to reinstate the requirement for CPR training in House Bill 1337. This legislation would enact lifesaving change to Missouri’s education policy, ensuring that students graduating from high school statewide know how to save a life in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest emergency. While HB 1337 was passed by the Missouri House of Representatives with the CPR training requirement, this provision was unfortunately removed by a Senate committee last week.

To protect the intent of the law and to ensure that 70,000 CPR-trained young adults are added to Missouri communities each year, the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross are encouraging all Missourians to immediately contact their state senators to ask for their support of a CPR requirement in HB 1337. The timing of this request is especially important, as HB 1337 is scheduled to come up for debate on the floor of the Senate this week.

Several states, including Iowa, Minnesota, and Tennessee, have already passed legislation that is similar to HB 1337. Many schools throughout the country teach CPR by working the curriculum into existing health classes, investing as little as 30 minutes to prepare students to become a lifesaver. Studies have shown that students are capable of learning to effectively perform CPR.

“If you suffer sudden cardiac arrest, your best chance for survival is to receive bystander CPR until Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) arrive,” said Jace Smith, Government Relations Director for the American Heart Association in Missouri. “This bill does not require complete certification – only a 30-minute, one-time training session over a student’s four-year high school career. We want to equip a generation of lifesavers by making sure students learn CPR before they graduate. In less time than it takes to watch a TV sitcom, students can learn the CPR skills needed to help save the life of another person.”

“CPR is the lifesaving solution,” said Debi Meeds, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross. “Many people are alive today because individuals trained in CPR – including youth and adults who received that training at school – gave someone CPR until EMT’s arrived. We need to train each generation so that every brother, sister, son, daughter, parent and friend is prepared to save a life when called upon.”

About the Prevalence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest:
Nearly 383,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital every year and only 11% of them survive. If given right away, CPR doubles or triples survival rates.

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any time. Sudden cardiac arrest is most often caused by a heart attack, but it can also be caused by trauma, an overdose, or near-drowning. In sudden cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating, blood stops circulating, oxygen stops flowing to the brain, and the victim stops breathing.

About the Importance of CPR Training for Missourians:
Missourians have testified in support of HB 1337, sharing the personal stories of how CPR has touched their lives. These Missourians represent all walks of life – including the perspective of a mother, a teacher and a survivor. These touching stories are summarized below:

·         A Mother

Donna Redd’s son, Austin, collapsed at school on May 13, 2010. Austin suffered from a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect. Due to the quick response of students, teachers, a nurse, and a resource officer, Austin is alive and well today. As a mother of three teenagers and a toddler, Donna knows the importance of CPR training in schools. Austin could have easily been out riding bikes, on the soccer field, on the school bus, or at home. Donna’s hope is that one day, no matter where someone may be, an individual will be ready to help when called upon.

 

“There are many schools already teaching CPR – we just need to get them all onboard,” said Donna. “One person can make a difference. It could very easily save the life of someone you love. I am thankful there was someone able to start CPR at school for Austin. I could not imagine how life would be without him.”

 

·         A Teacher

Melissa Creed is a teacher at Wheaton Elementary School. On January 19, 2011, one of her co-workers and dear friends collapsed. Melissa had not been trained in CPR and was scared by her feeling of helplessness. Her friend and co-worker was not breathing and was lifeless on the floor. Fortunately, a school nurse was nearby and intervened. Melissa witnessed the importance of CPR and watched as her friend and colleague was brought back from near-death.

 

“I am now CPR certified and I believe that it is imperative that everyone learn this lifesaving technique,” said Melissa. “Becoming CPR certified was something that had been on my list of things to do for quite some time, and I am ashamed that I had never gotten around to it. In hindsight, I realize that learning CPR is a pretty small step to take. I will never forget the helpless feeling I felt that day. And, while I hope I never get put in that situation again, I definitely feel more prepared after learning CPR.”

 

·         A Survivor

Sally Sharp is a teacher. One day last year, while eating lunch at school, her heart stopped without warning. She fell out of her chair and collapsed on the floor. None of her fellow teachers knew how to respond, but the school nurse was able to perform CPR until paramedics arrived to transport her to the hospital. The immediate actions of the school nurse saved Sally’s life – helping to maintain the flow of blood throughout her body until advanced care was available.

 

“Thirty minutes is all it would take,” said Sally. “Thirty minutes could save the life of your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. Thirty minutes is all the time it would take to teach CPR to a student. As an educator and a parent, I want high school students to have the opportunity to learn this lifesaving technique. It is our job as educators to prepare and equip students for life, and that should include CPR training.”

For More Information:
To learn more about the importance of CPR and the training that can save lives, the public is encouraged to contact the American Heart Association at www.heart.org/cpr or the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org.

About the American Heart Association:
The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The AHA’s mission is to build healthier lives by preventing, treating and defeating these diseases – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. The organization funds cutting-edge research, conducts lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocates for the protection of public health. To learn more or join in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.americanheart.org.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross provides shelter, food and emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood and teaches lifesaving CPR and first aid skills. The organization provides international humanitarian aid and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American people to perform its mission. For more information on the Red Cross and CPR training, please visit www.redcross.org.

 

In Service,

 

K. Nigel Holderby

Chief Communications Officer

 

American Red Cross

Southern Missouri Region

(417) 832-9500 ext 107 (p) 

(417) 207-6349 (c)

 

 

 

2012 Joplin One Year Later

                       Joplin, Missouri: One Year Later

On May 22, 2011 the lives and landscape of an entire community were changed forever. “I will never forget the color of the sky that evening as my family and I stood outside our Springfield home and looked to the west. It was multi-colored reds and oranges, as if the sky were burning” said then Red Cross Volunteer, Nigel Holderby. The devastation left in the path of that storm would cause it to be known as one of the deadliest EF-5 tornados in history.

The Red Cross response to Joplin was one of enormous magnitude. The shelter alone would serve as the only home for hundreds of people for over a month. The meals served and the assistance provided to the affected communities would cost millions of dollars. The outreach from neighbors would show the country what a helping hand was all about as the donations poured in and people were given hope. 

Almost one year later, the Red Cross is still a vital part of the community in Joplin as it continues the mission to alleviate human suffering.  Along with the daily preparedness for the community in the form of CPR/First Aid classes and response to house fires, the Red Cross continues to support the Long Term Recovery Center in Joplin with caseworkers.

Currently there are over 2000 active cases and the needs are as diverse as the families. Needs such as; ongoing medical issues, construction repairs to damaged roofs, replacing cabinets, windows and heating and air-conditioning units. Though the needs have been many, the progress is becoming visible. Over 500 families were in FEMA housing units after the storm. That number is now below 300 and still shrinking.

The people of Joplin, Missouri show a resilience that is remarkable. During the American Red Cross Everyday Heroes Event this past March I saw this resiliency in the faces of those heroes being honored. The people of the community giving of themselves for their neighbor in need, when indeed they were in need themselves. Each one of them proclaiming that a hero they were not, but just an ordinary person who knew that to help others was their purpose that day and during the days that followed. 

The City of Joplin will be remembering those who lost their lives last year and celebrating the recovery of the city and community with a “Day of Unity” on May 22, 2012. More information can be found at http://www.joplintornadoanniversary.com/ .

The Red Cross will take part in the events of the day, alongside many of our partner agencies, by providing a hydration station for those walking in the Walk of Unity. The walk will begin at 20^th and Duquesne and take you through the disaster area and conclude at Cunningham Park. You will also find Red Cross Volunteers at Sam’s Club from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm with an informational booth on safety and disaster preparedness.

 

About the American Red Cross: 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.