News

2/6/2007 - Support Helps Red Cross Serve Area

The American Red Cross is a private, not-for-profit organization chartered by Congress to provide national relief during times of crisis. The Red Cross is here to serve the metropolitan area, and the St. Louis Area Chapter depends on community support for the necessary resources to prepare for and respond to emergencies. During a recent live interview on KJFF Radio (1400 AM), Omar Ruiz of the Jefferson County Service Center and Corie Wirth of the St. Louis Area Chapter emphasized three unique opportunities for the public to personally invest in the Red Cross mission: the Clara Barton Society, corporate partnerships and Operation CARS.

1/30/2007 - Honoring Local Heroism: Residents Awarded for Acts of Valor

Nearly a year ago, an Edwardsville teenager was a passenger in a car that veered off the road and struck a utility pole. The force of the crash splintered the pole, dropped live power lines onto the vehicle, and she received a near fatal jolt of electricity when she tried to step out of the car to safety. When a team of local firefighters and paramedics responded to the car crash, the girl was unconscious and not breathing. But the emergency responders were able to save her life thanks to the rounds of CPR previously administered by two bystanders - neighborhood doctor Keith Byler and Stuart Marshall, who was also a passenger in the automobile. On January 22, the St. Louis Area Chapter of the American Red Cross recognized 12 local residents as Lifesaver Award recipients. Edwardsville Fire Department Capts. James Anderson, Brett Milton, Robert Morgan and Mark Parker were also among those who received this honor.

1/30/2007 - Red Cross Salutes Rescuers

Ten months after the accident that almost cost her life, a 16-year-old girl got the chance this week to thank the people who saved her. An Edwardsville High School student, shocked by downed power lines after a car crash in March, thanked six men at an awards ceremony in Creve Coeur. The American Red Cross Lifesaver Award was presented to Dr. Keith Byler, an off-duty emergency room physician; Stuart Marshall, 17, another passenger in the car; and Edwardsville firefighters James Anderson, Brett Milton, Robert Morgan and Mark Parker. The Lifesaver Award is designed to inspire others to get trained in first aid and CPR.

1/17/2007 - Shelter and Advice: Agency Shelters, Feeds Thousands During Storm - Offers Winter Weather Tips

The American Red Cross operated five emergency shelters in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson County, St. Francois County and Belleville, Ill. following the winter storm on Nov. 30 that resulted in widespread power outages. Omar Ruiz of the Jefferson County Service Center discussed the Red Cross response to the storm while offering preparedness tips for winter weather during a Dec. 8 interview on KJFF Radio (1400 AM).

1/4/2007 - Red Cross Offers Shelter from the Storm

After the wicked winter storm of Nov. 30, thousands of area residents were without electrical power for days. But, help was at hand in northeast Jefferson County from the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter, which set up a shelter for those in need at the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road. Those without power could come to the recreation center to warm up and enjoy meals provided by the Red Cross. Overall, the chapter sheltered 823 people and served 5,241 meals and snacks during three nights at five shelters in the metropolitan area.

12/19/2006 - A Civil Car War

With two weeks left in 2006, local charities are seeing a noticeable increase in vehicle donations as area residents scramble to meet a Dec. 31 tax deadline. By signing over a used car, truck or even a boat to a nonprofit before Jan. 1, donors can take tax deductions on their next tax returns. Like many donation programs, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter pays Bridgeton-based St. Louis Auto Auction a flat fee of $65 per vehicle to sell donated cars. The Red Cross receives any money above that flat fee, occasionally up to several thousand dollars. "We will take as many as come our way," said Mary Segneri with the Red Cross' development office. "If it has a motor in it and a title, we can sell it." During the charity's 2006 fiscal year, it received 76 vehicles, realizing $34,000 for the charity.

12/19/2006 - Red Cross Outreaches to Blacks

Joseph White, CEO of the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter, saw that it was time to increase the level of diversity within the Red Cross volunteer base during the organization's response in St. Louis following the Hurricane Katrina disaster. "We have a diverse board of directors and (office) employees, but not volunteers. We were missing the faith-based, African-American community. We were missing many possible caregivers and volunteers." White and the board started an aggressive outreach program for the organization to increase minority participation within its 1,575-member volunteer base. For help, he asked Yvonne Berry, a 27-year Red Cross executive, to focus on the outreach program. Berry took the challenge on with glee and has helped bring hundreds of black volunteers and many organizations into service with the local Red Cross.

12/11/2006 - Thank You, Jefferson County

During a KJFF radio interview on Nov. 10, Omar Ruiz of the American Red Cross Jefferson County Service Center thanked listeners for their support of Red Cross programs and services during the pervious year. Ruiz expressed appreciation for the generosity of Red Cross volunteers, financial contributors and blood donors who help the Red Cross reach the community through diverse programs and services. "Because the Red Cross is not a government agency, public support of its mission to help the community prevent, prepare for and respond to disaster and emergencies is essential," Ruiz said. Last year, the St. Louis Area Chapter touched the community more than 410,000 times, while the Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region collected approximately 300,000 units of blood to support as many as 120 hospitals.

12/11/2006 - Man Has Been Teaching Water Safety for 50 Years

For the last 50 years, Jim May, 73, has shared his love and knowledge of the water through the American Red Cross, teaching swimming basics, water safety and lifeguard classes. For much of that time he's worked with the Boy Scouts of America. He figures he's taught water safety to some 17,000 Boy Scouts. Joyce Bathke is one of May's former students. A self-taught swimmer, she took a lifesaving class in the early 1980s with her son, then a Scout. Bathke was later hired by the Red Cross, where she now serves as director of health and safety. She's in charge of all of the Red Cross' swimming classes, as well as other health programs. She also travels the country and sometimes overseas to train other instructors on new lifesaving curriculum and conducts undercover inspections of water parks.

11/28/2006 - Letter to the Editor: Red Cross Gives Thanks

During this Thanksgiving season, we say thanks to the community for continued, generous support of American Red Cross programs and services. Thanks to you, the Red Cross is making a positive impact in helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters. Thanks to you, Red Cross workers touch the community more than 410,000 times each year, training people in lifesaving first aid and CPR, emergency preparedness, water safety and more.

11/27/2006 - Communities Can Prepare for Disasters

The American Red Cross featured its new preparedness program, "Be Red Cross Ready," during a 30-minute interview on KJFF-AM on Oct. 13. Alice Gettis, community disaster education specialist for the St. Louis Area Chapter, joined Omar Ruiz of the Jefferson County Service Center to discuss the importance of making emergency preparedness a personal priority. During the interview, the Red Cross also focused on National Fire Prevention Week, its new Pandemic Flu curriculum and free Community Disaster Education presentations available for all ages.

11/6/2006 - A Friendly Face When It's Needed Most

When there's a fire or some other disaster in Jefferson County, chances are good that Brittany Schumacher will be on hand to help the victims or the emergency workers. Schumacher, 28, of Barnhart is a volunteer with the American Red Cross. She works out of the Jefferson County Service Center in Arnold. The Red Cross recently named her Jefferson County Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.

11/1/2006 - If a Heart Stops, Is Your Workplace Ready?

Ideally, your place of employment has emergency medical equipment on hand and people trained to use it. The National Safety Council reports 4.3 million total workplace injuries and illnesses and 5,703 work-related fatalities in private industry in 2004. More than 220,000 Americans suffer cardiac arrest each year, and more than 90 percent of heart attacks occur outside hospitals - in homes, in cars, at the mall, at the office. Your co-workers also may experience a stroke, faint or choke on food. Companies of all sizes can be better prepared to handle such events by providing employees with training that teaches how to assess the nature of a medical emergency and provide immediate assistance.

10/19/2006 - CPR, First Aid Training Can Save Lives on the Job and Elsewhere

CPR training and the right equipment may be the only things that can save a worker's life and ensure he is able to recover with mental faculties intact. To be so thoroughly prepared, however, co-workers must have basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and be up to date on the latest techniques. It also may be a matter of life and death that they have an automated external defibrillator, or AED, close at hand. Once the heart stops, the victim may suffer brain damage within four to six minutes and irreversible brain damage after 10 minutes if no resuscitation takes place. Experts have noted there are persuasive reasons why managers and workers alike should be sure CPR-trained employees are on duty whenever a company is open for business.

10/2/2006 - Red Cross Urges Preparedness

September is National Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross is supporting a new program called Be Red Cross Ready. As part of the program, the Red Cross encourages the public to get an emergency preparedness kit. This kit should have three days of supplies and should be checked every six months.

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