red cross – Page 6 – Gold Country News and Notes

Are You Ready for Some Football?

50thsuperbowl_raffle You don’t want to miss this great opportunity to purchase your own Super Bowl Raffle tickets for only $100. This is the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl and the big game will be played at the new home of the 49ers, Levi Stadium, located in nearby Santa Clara on February 7, 2016.

Super Bowl Raffle Prizes There are no losers in our Super Bowl Raffle, as everyone who buys a raffle ticket has just helped improve lives all over San Joaquin County. For every tickets purchased, at least $90 goes towards participating non-profit agencies to use as they serve our community’s most needy, in this case your local chapter of the American Red Cross.

There are six grand prizes each consisting of two tickets to the 50th Super Bowl and $2,000 spending money. In addition to the six grand prizes, there are dozens of other prizes totaling more than $50,000 in cash and other valuable items.

Please contact Liza Cruz at 209-986-0890 to purchase your Super Bowl Raffle tickets today! Drawing date is December 15, 2015! Don’t forget to read the Super Bowl Raffle Rules!

A big thank you to the Spanos Family for donating these tickets!

Three Years After Hurricane Sandy: Red Cross Successes and Progress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — (Thursday, October 29, 2015) — In the three years since Hurricane Sandy unleashed massive destruction along the Atlantic coast, the American Red Cross is still on the ground, having used $313 million in donations to help thousands of people recover and rebuild from the devastation of the storm.

“Hurricane Sandy was a major storm, affecting thousands of families, homes and businesses. Recovery from such a tremendous storm requires continued coordination, involvement, and commitment of many organizations. For the past three years, the Red Cross is proud to have worked alongside government and community-based partners to provide assistance to those who needed it most,” said Richard Reed, American Red Cross senior vice president, disaster cycle services.

“For so many of these people, the Red Cross has been part of the answer to helping them recover by providing financial assistance with housing-related expenses, recovery case management services, and grants to support services in the hardest hit areas.”

Hurricane Sandy Third Anniversary – Red Cross Facts:

1. Spending: The Red Cross has spent or made commitments to spend $313 million in support of our Sandy response efforts; an additional $1 million will be spent on Sandy programs in 2016. Details on how donations have been spent are available atredcross.org/sandy.

2. Emergency Relief: Before Sandy made landfall in October 2012, the Red Cross mobilized a massive emergency response effort that was ultimately supported by more than 17,000 workers from all over the country – 90 percent of them volunteers. Working with community partners, the Red Cross served more than 17.5 million meals and snacks and handed out more than 7 million relief items such as blankets, gloves, warm clothing, and home clean-up supplies. Red Crossers offered 113,000 health services and emotional support contacts and provided nearly half of the 163,000 overnight shelter stays for Sandy.

3. Recovery Support: The Red Cross has provided one-on-one assistance through casework to help thousands of families heal, rebuild and recover. The Move-In Assistance Program provided financial assistance to those whose primary homes were destroyed or made uninhabitable and who lacked the resources to relocate or make repairs. From 2012 through early 2015, this program provided more than $32.3 million to more than 5,100 households. The Red Cross has also worked closely with hundreds of partners and government agencies to make sure people have the support they need. For example, working with local residents and community organizations, the Red Cross helped start and support Long-Term Recovery Groups to address the disaster needs of storm-affected households. These groups continue to help people today in the hardest-hit areas.

4. Partnerships: The Red Cross awarded $95.2 million in funding to support critical recovery services in Sandy-devastated communities in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. This funding has supported the repair and rebuilding of more than 7,500 homes; the training, housing and deployment of more than 230,000 volunteers; and casework, mental health and health services, financial assistance and financial and legal counseling to more than 120,000 households. This month, the Red Cross is awarding $750,000 to four organizations to help them continue to provide financial assistance to Sandy survivors; these organizations are based in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. A full list of grants is available at redcross.org/sandy.

“This robust recovery effort was made possible because of the generosity of people who were moved to help after seeing heartbreaking images of devastation on the news, or reading stories of Sandy survivors who lost everything,” added Reed. “We are grateful that Americans entrusted the Red Cross with their financial donations and we have stretched these dollars to provide meaningful and lasting support to thousands of families and individuals.”

Show Us How YOU are Ready for El Niño – CONTEST TIME!

El Niño Preparedness Contest

The saying goes… “There’s calm after the storm”… but in California… not so much.

We’ve been in serious drought for almost five years, had two of the most destructive wildfires in our state’s history last month, and el Niño 2015 is expected to rival the mighty 1997 event that led to severe flooding, tornadoes and other extreme weather across the U.S. In fact, the 2015 event may be among the strongest on record.

The Red Cross is known to respond to disasters, but we also are in the business of preparedness. Now is an important time to gather and plan ahead… just follow our Be Red Cross Ready – Flood Safety Checklist.

To make this preparedness time even better! We’re creating a contest.

Share your ‘Family Preparedness Plan’with us!
- Send us a 1-2 minute video that explains your family’s preparedness plan, show us your kit and explain your evacuation strategy.
  - If you are not into videos… not to worry! Send us an email and explain the above in a couple of sentences (don’t forget to attach a picture of your family with your kit!)
- Upload the video on our Facebook page – Facebook.com/RCSierraDelta.
- If you are the winner, you could win a Red Cross Backpack or a PetFirst Aid Kit!
Two winners will be selected by end of business thisFriday, October 30 by 5:00pm.

Winners will be selected based on the number of entries received… all names will be entered into a hat and two names will be pulled by a Red Cross staff or volunteer.

Good luck and happy preparedness time!

TODAY Show Features Red Cross Home Fire Campaign

The TODAY show aired an important and informative segment on Thursday morning featuring the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, helping viewers assess fire risks in their home and offering steps to stay safe.
Steve Sarinelli, Red Cross Regional Disaster Officer for Central New Jersey and volunteer firefighter, met with new mom, Kate Gonzalez, in her home for an informal home fire preparedness review. He pointed out fire hazards and suggested fire prevention improvements. His suggestions included installing smoke alarms on every floor of her home, not using candles in power outages or near a bed, and keeping space heaters three feet from any item in the home.

Red Cross home fire safety resources were also featured, including a Home Fire Safety Checklist andHome Fire Escape Plan grid.

National Fire Prevention Week is October 4 – 10

Did you know that in a home fire, you have just two minutes to get out safely? That’s why preventive measures like checking your smoke alarms and emergency plans are so critical to keeping you and your family safe.

In just one year, 26 people are alive today thanks to a nationwide campaign spearheaded by the American Red Cross to save lives and reduce injuries from home fire. Join in and learn more about how to be fire safe today by reviewing our simple safety tips and share them with your family and friends. You can also help save even more lives by supporting Red Cross Disaster Relief.

Check out our fire safety tips today and help spread the word >>

Red Cross and MasterCard Team Up to Raise Funds, Awareness for Home Fires

Red Cross is pleased to accept MasterPass as a form of payment on Redcross.org/donate. During October, MasterCard is partnering with the Red Cross on a month-long promotion to raise funds for disaster relief and share fire safety tips with consumers. They are challenging the public to match their $350,000 donation and raise a combined $700,000 for the American Red Cross. You can join their challenge. Contact Nicole Teti for more information.

NEWS: Red Cross Assistance Center Opens Today to Help People Affected by the Butte Fire

Jackson, CA, Thursday, September 19, 2015 – The American Red Cross will open a Client Assistance Center to help people affected by the Butte Fire beginning Saturday, September 19, 2015. The center is located at the St. Katharine Drexel Parish at 11361 Prospect Dr., in Jackson, California. The Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., for the next few days.

Residents from Amador and Calaveras Counties who were affected by the Butte Fire are welcomed at the assistance center to begin the recovery process. Red Cross caseworkers are available to help people create personal recovery plans, navigate paperwork, and locate assistance from the Red Cross and other agencies. Caseworkers will meet one-on-one with residents to help them with their specific disaster-caused emergency needs such as clean-up or new housing assistance, transportation costs, furniture and clothing replacement.

Additionally, Red Cross volunteers will be distributing clean-up kits with mops, buckets, bleach, trash bags and rakes at this center and additional locations.

“Red Cross volunteers are loading trucks and traveling to affected neighborhoods with food and supplies. Our disaster workers are doing whatever we can to reach more people who need help,” said Teresa Caver, Interim CEO of the American Red Cross Gold Country Region. “We understand that people are living in very tough conditions. The uncertainty of whether people will have homes to return to makes this an emotionally draining time. Red Cross mental health volunteers are supporting residents as they learn the status of the homes.”

Red Cross healthcare workers will also be there to help with minor medical needs, and trained mental health workers will be available to provide emotional support and coping strategies.

The American Red Cross will also be available at the Calaveras Local Assistance Center (CLAC) and provide information about available assistance. The CLAC will be operating at the Calaveras County Government Center located at 891 Mountain Ranch Road in San Andreas starting today at 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and will be open until Monday.

Shelters remain open at Jackson Rancheria in Amador County, the Good Samaritan Church, and the Jenny Lynn Veterans Hall in Calaveras County. More than 1500 people sought refuge in our shelters and many more are visiting every day for hot meals and information about what help is available.

Trained Red Cross health and mental health workers are providing services to people at the shelters, including emotional support and replacing prescription medications and eyeglasses.

The Red Cross has provided the following to people impacted by the fires:

o More than 5,400 overnight stays in shelters

o More than 32,000 meals and snacks

o More than 2,300 health and mental health services

DOWNLOAD THE FREE RED CROSS APPS

Stay informed: The Red Cross has several smartphone apps available that will alert you to National Weather Service warnings for severe weather and flash flooding and provide you with preparedness and safety information. These free apps are available for download at redcross.org/apps.

VOLUNTEERING

At this time, the American Red Cross of Gold Country Region is fortunate to have volunteers who are trained, ready and willing to support our response to the flooding in our communities. We thank individuals and community groups who are willing to support this effort and encourage them to register to become new volunteers to help with future disaster responses. Learn more and register online at redcross.org /volunteer and complete the online application.

About the American Red Cross Gold Country Region
Founded in 1898, the Gold Country Region of the American Red Cross serves 4.4 million people in Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba counties. The 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, visit our website, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Red Cross and KCRA3 To Host a California Wildfires Telethon Tomorrow

KCRA has once more stepped up to support the American Red Cross and our local communities!

Currently, the American Red Cross is helping more than 1,130 people at 7 shelters across Northern California that have been affected by the Rough, Butte and Valley Fires.

At the shelters, Red Cross volunteers are providing meals, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, health services such as replacing medications and eyeglasses and emotional support for the people affected by the fires.

The telethon is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15 from 4:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. on KCRA3, with a cut-over to MY58 from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Help people affected by the California Wildfires. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from these disasters.

The telethon number to make a donation is: 800-513-3333 and it will be staffed by Red Cross volunteers and corporate partners.

We have some exciting check presentations by our wonderful community partners!

And this just in! Salem Communications and I Heart Radio have begun promoting the telethon in their radio programming! (KKFS- the Fish, 1380AM-The Answer, 710AM KFIA, 105.5FM and I-Heart Radio Modesto!)

Thank you to everyone who has been calling to help!

PS. If you are not able to call during the telethon, you can donate to the California Wildfires to the Gold Country Region of the American Red Cross:

Mail in your donation to: American Red Cross Gold Country Region | Attention: Laura Thompson | 1565 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815
Call: Laura Thompson, r | 916-993-7080 | Please note, this is a recording, please leave a message and Laura will call you back to ask for your donation which will be designated to the California Wildfires.

American Red Cross Establishes Public Information Line in Response to the Butte Fire

Jackson, CA – Saturday, September 12, 2015 – The American Red Cross has established a public information line for inquiries from the public regarding Red Cross services during the Butte Fire.

The number to call is: (925)588-6678. The phone number is being staffed by a Red Cross volunteer. If you get a busy signal, we ask for your patience and to call back.

The three emergency evacuation shelters established by the Red Cross are located at:

Calaveras County

Good Samaritan Church, 4684 Baldwin St, Valley Springs
Jenny Lynn Veterans Hall, 189 Pine Street, Valley Springs

Amador County

Jackson Rancheria Hotel and Resort – 12222 New York Ranch Rd, Jackson

IN-KIND DONATIONS

We appreciate the good intentions of people who want to donate items, but financial donations are the quickest and best way to get help to the people who need it most.

The Red Cross isn’t equipped to handle a large influx of donations such as household items, clothing or food that may or may not be useful to victims as it takes time and money to store, sort and distribute donated items. If community members still like to donate goods, we recommend they contact other organizations in their community and inquire if they are accepting donations.

“Financial donations allow us to be flexible in the help we deliver and ensure that we can provide what disaster victims need most,” said Lilly Wyatt, Director of Regional Communications with the American Red Cross Gold Country Region. “Donating is simple, just call 1-800-Red Cross or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.”

All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people.

The Heat is On! (Again) – Safety Reminders

With a heat wave upon us, Red Cross has Tips to keep safe during extreme heat

Since summer’s clearly sticking around for the time being, this is a good time to refresh your memory of what you should do in a heat wave. The American Red Cross has some simple steps you can take to keep you and your kids safe.

During a Heat Wave:

Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol
Avoid extreme temperature changes
Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays
Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day
Postpone outdoor games and activities
Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat. Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors
Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat
Check on your animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat

Sports Safety
The return to school means many student athletes will be outside for practice. But during a heat wave, athletes should avoid workouts and exercise during the hottest times of the day—these should be scheduled for early in the day or later in the evening. Other ways to stay safe include:

Get acclimated to the heat by reducing the intensity of your workouts or exercise until you are more accustomed to the heat
Take frequent, longer breaks. Stop about every 20 minutes for fluids and try to stay in the shade
Those in charge of student practices should reduce the amount of heavy equipment athletes wear in extremely hot weather
Dress athletes in net-type jerseys or light-weight, light-colored cotton tee shirts and shorts
Know the signs of heat-related emergencies and monitor athletes closely
Athletes should inform those in charge if they are not feeling well

FIRST AID APP Could you tell if someone were suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke? Would you know how to respond? The American Red Cross First Aid App puts that information at your fingertips, helping you prepare and respond to heat emergencies and other events. Available for iPhone and Android devices, the free First Aid App gives you instant access to the information you need to know to handle the most common first aid emergencies. It also features videos, interactive quizzes and simple step-by-step advice. Download the app from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android or go to http://www.redcross.org/mobileapps.

Learn how to treat heat-related and other emergencies by taking First Aid and CPR/AED training online or in person. Go to http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class for information and to register.

Download the Red Cross Heat Wave Safety Checklist at http://rdcrss.org/1NpU79T

Turlock Church Fire – Canteening Operations

A church at Columbia Avenue and South Orange Street in Turlock was destroyed by fire early Friday morning. The American Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers were requested to provide canteening services to the team of firefighters.

The fire at Equip Church was called in at 4:38 a.m. and portions of the 7,000-square-foot basement still were burning at 10:30 a.m., the Turlock Fire Department reported.

Our team of volunteers provided coffee, pastries and water for breakfast then pizza and other refreshments for lunch.

In all, 45 firefighters battled the blaze from Turlock city, Turlock Rural, Modesto, Ceres, Denair, Hughson, Keyes, Patterson and Stanislaus Consolidated fire districts.