Holiday Giving Catalogue: Give Our Troops a Holiday Gift

This holiday season, give to someone who does so much for your country; give to a service member. When you’re writing your gift list, don’t forget to include someone who hasn’t asked for anything.

Show our service members they’re cared for this holiday season by offering the gift of comfort. Just $50 lets one member of the military know that you care, and you haven't forgotten all they do.

Military comfort kits provide "a little bit of home" to service members who are injured and spending a few days, weeks or months at a military hospital. The kit is filled what they need to stay comfortable and keep in touch while they’re recovering: a phone card, robe, shower shoes, toiletries and an MP3 music gift card.

“My son was critically injured in Afghanistan…knowing that people cared helped my son recover from his wounds.”— Mike & Jackie, parents of a wounded hero, San Francisco, CA

Take a look at other ways to give to our military, or to the American Red Cross around the globe and in the U.S., in our Holiday Giving Catalog.

The Perfect Gift

You can gift wrap a sweater. You can place a bow on a shiny new bicycle. You can fill a gift bag with holiday cookies. One thing you can’t put in a box and place under the tree is the perfect gift – a lifesaving blood donation.

When you donate blood, you give the perfect gift - another hug, another laugh, another smile, another chance - to someone in need of blood.

Think outside the box this holiday season. The perfect gift is at your nearest American Red Cross blood drive or blood donation center. And, unlike the latest fashion trend, video game or golf club, the perfect gift costs nothing but an hour of your time.

Give the perfect gift and help a family member, friend or someone you’ve never met unwrap a lifetime of memories.

The Red Cross is proud to present “The Perfect Gift,” a video highlighting the importance of blood donation. Hopefully, it inspires you to give blood this holiday season and throughout the year. Call 1-800 RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment today.

Ways to share the message!

Send an eCard
Download our Audio PSA :30 second (MP3)
Download our Audio PSA :60 second (MP3)
Download our Video PSA :30 second
Download our Video PSA :60 second
Use a Web Banner

Also, be sure to mention #perfectgift when sharing!

A little Blog-Love for an Incomparable Three

On Monday in Lake Oswego, a fair at a retirement community represented an extraordinary collaboration between three parties I greatly respect.

Party #1: The American Red Cross
Now I’m a bit biased to the Red Cross, but what’s making me so proud today is the wonderful work of a dynamite volunteer named Vicky Leslie. Her commitment to helping the community is evident as she has worked to bring Red Cross services to a wider audience. This is the third event at this location that she has planned and lead. She is awesome!

Party #2: Carman Oaks Senior Living Community
Disaster Preparedness is important for every segment of the population, but so few communities actually take steps towards empowerment. The management at Carman Oaks has graciously hosted us in several well attended activities for their residents, including discussions on how to prepare for disasters. Few groups are as open to the ongoing conversation that is disaster preparedness. Clearly, Carman Oaks really cares about the health of its residents.

Party #3: Back T Pack
This is a company doing something new. Marilyn Miller von Foerster is a physical therapist, dedicated to her field. Through her work, which focuses on prevention rather than treatment, she is an innovator in health and has now entered the arena of disaster preparedness. At Monday’s fair at Carman Oaks she offered one of her ergonomic packs as a door prize and we filled it with some Red Cross disaster supplies. The wonderful lady who won now has a disaster kit she can manage in an emergency. Thank you Back T Pack for making disaster prep a lot easier.




left to right: Marilyn Miller von Foerster, the lucky winner, and Vicky Leslie




To learn more please click any of the following:
Oregon Red Cross
Carmen Oaks
Back T Pack

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

MALDIVES: Last week the Maldivian Red Crescent became the 187th member of the IFRC at its 18th General Assembly in Geneva. The process of forming the new National Society began in the wake of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which affected over 27,000 people in the Maldives. These low-lying islands will be among the most threatened territories should sea levels rise significantly.

YEMEN: Two ICRC staff members and a Yemen Red Crescent Society volunteer who had been briefly held by armed individuals in a village in Lahj governorate, southern Yemen, returned to Aden. On November 22nd, they left to distribute food rations and essential household items to displaced people in Lahj, but were prevented from returning to their office. The ICRC was in regular contact with them after the incident occurred, and contacted the authorities and other leaders in the area to request their assistance in arranging for the prompt return.

NIGER: The ICRC is providing support for a major immunization campaign against meningitis that began last week in the Agadez area of northern Niger. The ICRC is supporting the campaign in the districts of Arlit and Tchirozérine, where over 58,000 people aged one to 29 will be vaccinated by the first week in December.

IRAQ: Over the past two weeks the ICRC, in a joint Iranian-Iraqi operation, found the remains of 103 Iranian and Iraqi soldiers in Al-Fao, southern Iraq, who went missing during the 1980-1988 war between the two countries. In its capacity as a neutral intermediary, the ICRC provides support for the efforts of the Iranian and Iraqi authorities to account for those who went missing during the war and to ease the suffering of their families.

SOMALILAND (SOMALIA): While Southern and Central Somalia carry the brunt of the East Africa food crisis, Somaliland has not escaped the effects of recurrent droughts and political violence. At the newly-established Sheikh Omar Internally Displaced People's (IDP) camp, the Somalia Red Crescent has been working to recruit volunteers and distribute relief items provided by the Icelandic Red Cross from its clothing business.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Cold weather is coming! Want to volunteer?

When it gets really cold outside in the Portland metro area, there are many people who need help to make it through the night. In fact last year, in what was considered a fairly mild winter, the Oregon Red Cross, working with the City of Portland, opened emergency warming centers that helped almost 1,000 men, women, children and pets stay warm and safe as temperatures plunged. As we head into the coldest months of the season, volunteers are needed to help us staff these life-saving emergency warming centers.

Read some wonderful past stories from our Warming Centers

We have scheduled several orientation sessions, available in person or online, which cover the basics for warming center operations; staffing assignments; rules of conduct; and what to expect as a volunteer. Everyone who has volunteered in the past has wonderful stories from their experiences at the warming centers and we'd love to have you join us!

Attend an Emergency Warming Center Volunteer Orientation

UO Ducks Win the Civil War Blood Drive Competition

Final Civil War Blood Drive Score: Ducks 3,416 – Beavers 3,173

The ten-year anniversary of the Civil War Blood Drive was a fierce competition this year and the numbers show how close the pursuit was to capture the annual trophy and bragging rights. The final numbers show that the University of Oregon Ducks prevailed with a 243 point difference. The Ducks had 3,416 blood drive ballots cast, the Oregon State University Beavers came in very close with 3,173 ballots entered.

For the second year in a row, the Ducks have been victorious in the Civil War Blood Drive. To view the full history of the blood drive campaign, visit civilwarblooddrive.com. The need for blood is constant; and it is especially important to have an ample supply during the winter season. For those wanting to help hospital patients by donating blood, please call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule your appointment. If you would like to make an appointment to donate platelets at the Clark County, Portland, or the Richland, Washington donor centers, please call 1-800-787-9691.

It is important to remember that the real winners of this healthy competition are hospital patients who are in need of blood and platelet transfusions throughout the year. Many people helped to facilitate making our ten-year Civil War Blood Drive anniversary a success. To all those who partnered, created, volunteered, promoted, supported, collected or gave blood and platelets, we are exceedingly thankful for your support.

We're looking for heroes!

Every year, the Oregon Red Cross honors extraordinary acts of courage, humanity, unselfishness, and commitment to our communities at our annual Breakfast of Champions, being held this year on Tuesday, March 6th at the Oregon Convention Center.

We're looking for hero nominations from across the 16 counties of northern Oregon, including Baker, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Gilliam, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington or Yamhill counties. Our heroes, once nominated, are selected based on how their unselfish and/ or heroic acts have helped: Save a life; Have positively impacted lives; Inspired the community, or; Have exemplified the Red Cross mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.

Once we receive the hero nominations from across the 16 counties, we'll sit down with a select group of volunteers, sponsors and community leaders to choose a special handful of deserving winners. At past Breakfast of Champions, awards have been presented to children, adults, groups, organizations, businesses and even animals.

Examples of past heroic acts include: Performing first aid or CPR to save a life; Helping others escape a house fire, car accident or other life-threatening situation; Performing a water or wilderness rescue; A professional rescue that went above and beyond the line of duty or occurred when the rescuer was not working; An ongoing commitment to a cause that has positively impacted residents in our community; helping people be safe, save lives and/or provide improved quality of life; An individual or group that champions safety, disaster preparedness and disaster response in the community, and; An animal that has been involved in a rescue or has provided therapy/emotional support.

Ideally, the heroic act occurred within the past year, unless the nomination is for an ongoing commitment to saving and rebuilding lives. We hope our heroes will reflect the diversity of Oregon. Nominees of all backgrounds are encouraged!

We'd like to have nominations in the next couple of weeks - December 8th - and you can contact James Roddey at (503) 538-5629 with nomination and questions or go to our website (below).

The Oregon Red Cross Breakfast of Champions Hero Awards - Tuesday, March 6th at the Oregon Convention Center. Help us honor the heroes that walk among us every day!

Just in time for the afternoon gut-pack...

This just in from an interesting blog called The Daily on "mindful eating" this Thanksgiving:

“Hey, everybody, it’s holiday time! Temptation is everywhere! To avoid becoming more stuffed than the turkey, we’ll tell you how you can survive without becoming so bloated that your spouse leaves you, the neighborhood kids mock you and you become a lumpy, enormous, flatulent shut-in …”

That’s the annual holiday reminder, of course. But all the anticipation and worry about what you might eat in a single 24-hour period could actually amplify the effects of a gluttonous feast.

Excessive stress activates the body’s alarm system — the “fight or flight” response — and triggers the adrenal glands to release hormones such as cortisol, which is associated with obesity, heart disease and depression.

One way to avoid this cascading error is to stop focusing on calories and focus on your mindset.

This approach is called mindful eating, which sounds vaguely New Age-y, because it is associated with Eastern philosophy and the Buddhist principle of mindfulness. But it’s pretty similar to the advice most moms dole out: Take smaller bites. Chew your food thoroughly. And most important, eat more slowly.

Just slowing down can cut your caloric intake significantly, according to a 2006 University of Rhode Island study. In the study, participants were given a large plate of pasta during two different visits. When they were encouraged to eat quickly, they finished in nine minutes; when they were told to slow down, they took 29 minutes — and consumed 12 percent fewer calories.

Mindful eating also stresses the pleasure of meals: fully appreciating the smell, color and texture of food, as well as the family and friends at the dinner table. Paying such close attention to the sensations surrounding the meal is thought to be another deterrent to overeating because the sensation of fullness is more acutely felt.

Best of all, if your mind is occupied with the task of trying to perceive every molecule of goodness in each buttered, gravy-covered, marshmallow-topped morsel, it is less likely to be in stress mode.

Read more on The Daily Blog and have a 2nd helping in peace...

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

SYRIA: The ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent have provided aid since the first weeks of the violence to assist people in affected areas such as Idlib, Homs, Dera'a, Deir-Ez-Zor, Al-Bukamal, Rural Damascus governorate, Hama and Latakia. The ICRC continues to assess developments as violence continues.

NORTH KOREA: Thousands of survivors of severe floods in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) are still seriously in need of food and proper shelter. An emergency appeal launched in August by the IFRC has targeted 6,000 families for emergency food distribution over a period of two months and 1,000 of the most vulnerable survivor families for construction materials to rebuild their homes in a more durable way to resist potential future flooding.

LIBYA: The ICRC and the Libyan Red Crescent have just launched a three-week radio campaign to raise awareness of the risks of explosive remnants of war among the population. The heavy fighting that took place until last month in Sirte and Bani Walid left the two cities seriously contaminated by such devices. In addition, the ICRC and the Libyan Red Crescent have delivered food and other relief items to over 10,000 people returning to Sirte.

SOMALIA: Following an influx of refugees fleeing Somalia into Dadaab Camp, the Kenya Red Cross Society, working with the ICRC, has stepped up its "restoring family links" services, allowing newly-arrived refugees to call their relatives with news.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Thanksgiving Day Blood Drives!

Give of yourself this holiday, start a great Thanksgiving tradition for you and your family by helping to save a life. Join us on Thursday, November 24th for one of our annual Thanksgiving blood drives at the Portland, Salem, or Vancouver Red Cross donor centers.

All presenting donors will receive a free holiday t-shirt, a free pumpkin pie donated by Thriftway, and a $10 OFF discount for any performance of “A Christmas Story” at Portland Center Stage.*

To make an appointment for a Thanksgiving Day Blood Drive donation, schedule your appointment for the nearest drive listed below or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Thanksgiving Day Blood Drive Locations and Hours:

Portland Donor Center
3131 N. Vancouver Ave.
Portland, OR 97227
7:00am – 12:00pm

Clark County Donor Center
5109 NE 82nd Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98862
7:30 am – 12:30 pm

Salem Donor Center
475 Cottage Street NE, Suite 110
Salem, OR 97301
7:30 am – 12:30 pm

*Giveaway items while supplies last

The biggest blowhard in Oregon

No, we're not talking about what people whisper in the audience at one of my talks, although...

We're talking about the fact that the President of the Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (Certified Smart Person category) says western Oregon is overdue for a big windstorm, which happens roughly every 15 years.

According to Steve Pierce of the OCAMS (see fancy title above), this past Sunday marked the 30th anniversary of one of the most powerful windstorms to strike the region. Known as the "Friday the 13th Storm," it brewed in 1981 over the northeast Pacific Ocean before slamming the Pacific Northwest coastline with winds of 90 to 120 mph.

Winds of 70 to 90 mph hit the Willamette Valley just after midnight as the day turned into Nov. 14. A dozen people died.

"Hundreds of power transformers arched for hours in the nighttime sky across the Portland metro area. Many of the weather forecasts put out ahead of the 1981 storm underplayed the winds' potential that night. Advancements in technology since 1981 will likely never let that occur again," Pierce said.

Not to disagree with a Certified Smart Person, but I remember a forecasted "small snowstorm" a couple of years ago that paralyzed Portland for 2 days.

Other famous windstorms of the past half-century include the really big one, the "Columbus Day Storm," Oct. 12, 1962, and the "Great Coastal Gale" of December 2007 (which nobody at the coast was ready for either).

You can read the full article in the Salem Statesman Journal.

Got a plan for sitting in the cold and dark at home for a few days? When it happens, just remember, you've been warned by a certified blowhard...

Hello from the Erb Memorial Union on the beautiful University of Oregon Campus! My name’s Shahnaz, and I’m a student and Blood Drive Association member at the University of Oregon. We are now more than half-way through the week, and we are continuing to creep up on our rivals from Corvallis. This past weekend, we displayed our Pac-12 dominance in football by routing Stanford, and we are thirsty for more Pac-12 blood! When I asked students their views on the rivalry, most responded with something similar to what one donor said “we already know we are going to beat OSU in football, so we want to win in something else”. Watch out OSU, we are coming for you! Whether the students see banners, fliers, and table tents around campus, or are enticed by Buddy the Blood Drop, they all donate for the same reasons; to assist those in need, and to show school spirit. Students say they love being able to make a difference, and help save three people’s lives, all in about one hour.

There is still time to bleed orange or green for your team and assist those in need, so check out the campaign website for locations of blood drives around the state, and updated scores! If you would like to make an appointment call 1-800-RED CROSS or in Lane County call (541) 484-9111.

Photo Courtesy of Scott Waggoner.

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The ICRC is currently bringing aid to around a thousand families whose houses were destroyed or seriously damaged in clashes between two armed groups in the city of Bria in September. In partnership with the Central African Red Cross Society, the ICRC is distributing such essential items as tarpaulins, blankets, sleeping mats, basins, soap, jerrycans and kitchen utensils.

THAILAND: The population of Rachaburi Central Prison in Thailand has leapt from 300 inmates to 1540, due to evacuations from flooded prisons elsewhere in the nation. With prisoners sleeping in corridors and gardens, the ICRC has been providing blankets and other essentials to make conditions a little more bearable. Additionally, the ICRC has helped evacuees let their relatives know where they are.

NAMIBIA: With financial support from the Swedish and Belgian-Flanders Red Cross societies, the Namibia Red Cross has begun a massive water and sanitation program under the campaign, ‘Water is Life’. The program ensures the protection of springs and water pumps in selected areas and communities.

UGANDA: The Rural Water and Sanitation Program managed by Uganda Red Cross Society and supported by the Danish Red Cross and the European Union has been implemented in the districts of Ntoroko, Bulisa, Kabarole, Kasese and Hoima, bringing clean water and hygiene promotion, and having a massive impact on communities.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Oregon Red Cross is pleased to announce that, for the first time, we are featured as one of the 100 local nonprofits participating in the 2011Give!Guide hosted by the Willamette Week. You'll find us in the 'Community' section. Aimed at new donors under 35 years old, the Give!Guide offers sweet incentives for budding philanthropists and directs attention to local nonprofits.

You Mentioned Free Stuff?

Sure did. Our partner, Papa Murphys, will give you free pizza with your $25 gift.

And Willamette Week offers you:
- Coupons good for discounts and freebies all over town
- Wine and beer
- Stumptown coffee
- Moonstruck chocolates
- & much more!

As an added bonus, Oregon Red Cross is offering an our own incentive if you make a gift through the Give!Guide. Donate $50 or more to Oregon Red Cross by midnight on December 31, and you'll be entered into our drawing for a four-person emergency kit worth $165!

But wait, there's more….

If all of the above free stuff is not enough to motivate you, November 17th is Clear Creek Distillery Day. If you make a donation through the Give!Guide this Thursday, you will be entered into a drawing for one of everything Clear Creek distills: 25 bottles of eau de vie and liqueur, which will be available the very next day, so the winner will be well stocked for Thanksgiving and beyond!

The Sandbag Preacher

There was a great story in the O on Friday by Amanda Waldroupe ( photo by Amanda Waldroupe, special to The Oregonian) on my buddy Les Miller with the USACE (look it up). I guess he never really grew up... lucky guy:

They call Les Miller the sandbag preacher. The Army Corps of Engineers' flood preparedness program manager in Portland earned the nickname for his years-long determination to perfect something that seems very simple -- making sandbags, the basic building block of flood control.

Miller can churn out sandbag math like a calculator. To fill 2,000 sandbags in two hours for a 2-foot-high, 200-foot-long sandbag wall, you'll need about 4,500 people, he says. "We know we're not going to get that many people" during an emergency, Miller said during a hands-on class in Vancouver last week. That's what makes it so important for flood-response volunteers to work as efficiently and quickly as possible.

The class drew almost 20 members from Clark County's Citizen Emergency Response Teams(CERT), a volunteer organization trained in disaster preparedness and response. An Eagle Scout candidate accompanying his mother, a CERT member and a firefighter also attended.

The rest of the story can be found at OregonLive.com. Oh, and if you think that a 100 year flood happens only once every 100 years, I have some property owned by the Rainbow Ponies in Candyland that I'd like to sell you...

Help Oregon Red Cross Help Our Community Through the

Willamette Week Give!Guide

Oregon Red Cross is proud to be featured in the 2011 Willamette Week Give!Guide, which raised more than $1 million for local nonprofits last year. Like most Americans over the last few years, we have had to tighten our belts and work smarter while responding to a seemingly ever increasing number of disasters right here in Oregon.

We now have only 47 full time staff in humanitarian services to cover almost 100,000 square miles in the state of Oregon. But when disaster strikes, our organization wants to be ready to respond to floods, winter storms and the 2:00 A.M. call to assist a family affected by a home fire. When you click on Oregon Red Cross in the 'Community' section of the Give!Guide, you'll be glad to know that 100% of your donation goes directly to help victims of disasters.

People affected by disaster need to know that they have a place to stay, food to eat and emotional support from someone who cares as they take the first steps to recovery. This is our commitment to the people of Oregon and with your help and support we will always honor that commitment.

The American Red Cross is not a government agency. We rely solely on tax deductible financial donations to support our disaster response and humanitarian relief efforts. And because it's nice to do well when you do good, you'll be even more delighted to know that you can receive wonderful thank you gifts from Oregon Red Cross, Papa Murphy's and Willamette Week:

Our partner Papa Murphy will give you a free pizza with your $25 gift.

Oregon Red Cross is offering our own incentive for those who make a gift through the Give!Guide. Donate $50 or more to us by midnight on December 31 and be entered into our drawing for a four-person emergency kit worth $165!

Finally, Willamette Week offers:

• $10-$499 You get coupons good for discounts and freebies all over town. There is one level for donors between $10 and $99, another for $100 to $499. Larger gifts result in better deals. See the Give!Guide website for details.
  
• $500-$999 You get home delivery of a bottle of wine from A to Z Wineworks, a nice bag of Stumptown Coffee, Widmer Beer, a Chinook Book app, and more.
  
• $1,000-$2,499 You get home delivery of pinot noir from Rex Hill Vineyards, the Chinook Book app, a package of Bob’s Red Mill Honey Oats Granola, Stumptown Coffee, Widmer Beer, and more.
  
• $2,500 You get home delivery from one of Willamette Week’s owners of a bottle of sparkling wine, Rex Hill pinot noir wine, Moonstruck Chocolates, Stam dog treats, Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, and more, including the Chinook Book app.

Bleed Your Colors By Saturday, November 19th!

Rivals for Life Civil War Blood Drive - Midway Results

The Civil War Blood Drive between the University of Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State University Beavers ends on Saturday, November 19, 2011. Your blood or platelet donation can make a difference in which team will earn the 10-year Civil War Blood Drive anniversary trophy.

The score currently stands at OSU Beavers 2,065 votes and UO Ducks 1,500 votes.

Blood drives are scheduled across the state of Oregon and in Vancouver, Washington, and it is still anyone's game. So get out there and bleed orange or bleed green and help hospital patients in need! Donors can check the campaign website at www.civilwarblooddrive.com for locations of blood drives statewide and for up-to-date scores and a history of the Civil War Blood Drive campaign. Please call and make an appointment call 1-800-RED CROSS or in Lane County call (541) 484-9111.

SPREAD THE WORD AND HELP LEAD YOUR TEAM TO VICTORY!

Cute like feral cats...

OK hipsters, you've been giving generously to the many great organizations in the Give!Guide, but as of Sunday, birds, feral cats, trees, the circus and busses are way ahead of the Oregon Red Cross for donations. I know we're not a cuddly as busses, but we are cute like feral cats...

Achieve Zen Hipness and score a delicious, large, 1 topping pizza from Papa Murphy's with a donation of $25 or more to the Red Cross through the Give!Guide, plus be entered into a drawing for fabulous prizes from Willamette Week and the Oregon Red Cross... meow!

Our friend Cheryl Bledsoe over at Clark Regional Emergency Services (CRESA) has a great blog with some of the best emergency and preparedness info around.

In a recent post she wrote about the national test of the EAS - Emergency Alert System that didn't go so well in Oregon and SW Washington... What I liked about the post is she listed all the ways that CRESA pushes information out to the public when things like the EAS system doesn't work. In Portland, you can sign up for PublicAlerts.

If you don't know how to receive emergency alerts other than you're TV, it's time to cowgirl up and figure out how you and your family will get informed for the next time that train carrying rabid racoons overturns near your home and those cuddly creatures show up at your doorstep asking for leftovers - hey, it could happen!

A talk on How to Browbeat Your Friends...

A few (very few) people have asked when I would be giving a talk in the Portland area in the near future... well, here you go! This from OregonLive.com:

A free disaster preparedness workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 19 in Northeast Portland. The event will be held at the Portland Community College Workforce Training Center, at 5600 N.E. 42nd Ave. The event, which is sponsored by the Emergency Management Agencies of Gresham, Portland and Multnomah County, is also made possible by grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Expect to learn about basic disaster preparedness including assessing risks, creating a family plan, managing utilities and knowing the neighborhood.

The keynote speaker will be James Roddey of the Oregon Red Cross. He will speak on Native American myths, ghost forests, recent scientific discoveries and how to browbeat your friends and neighbors on getting prepared for THE BIG ONE or any type of natural disaster.

Register in advance at areyouready.doattend.com.

I'm no longer supposed to play the Prophet of Doom. You may now refer to me as the "Master of Disaster."

Just to prove how hip we are these days...

Portlandia (the TV show on the Independent Film Channel, not the statue) thinks we're cool enough to retweet our amazing Willamette Week Give!Guide deal... of course that may be more to the fact that Nate carries most of our Zen Hipster Doofus coolness in his pocket while the rest of us are left drooling on the sidewalk... But hey, you too can bask in his coolness by donating to the Oregon Red Cross and get a free large yummy pizza from Papa Murphy's and other cool prizes.

The Give!Guide Way of Zen and Hipness

The Oregon Red Cross is participating in the Willamette Week Give!Guide for the very first time this year. This is a big deal for us because the Give!Guide raised an amazing $1.16 million for local organizations last year. Way to go Portland Hipsters! It also means we’re being recognized for our coolness factor as we now qualify to rub elbows with said Hipsters… You’ll find the Give!Guide tucked inside the latest issue of Willamette Week.

Or, cut to the chase by going online to the Give!Guide. Yes, we know you’ll be distracted by the puppies and kittens (we were), but don’t forget your buds. You can support the Red Cross, get a free pizza from our awesome sponsor, Papa Murphy's (for a donation of $25), qualify for Hipster Doofus status (that’s much higher than mere Hipster) and be entered into various drawings through the Give!Guide for fabulous prizes.

But wait, there’s more! For a donation of $50 or more, you will become a Zen Hipster and be entered into an Oregon Red Cross drawing to win a huge 4 person family emergency kit worth $165! Donate, eat pizza and tweet your friends so they can be hip too by contributing through the Give!Guide.

We’ve also created a neat little video for the Give!Guide Channel where the Grim Reaper gets his butt kicked by Hipster Red Crossers in all kinds of different disasters. It’s called Celebrate Life!

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Torrential rains recently hit South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, destroying over a thousand houses in Sange and leaving many people destitute and without shelter. The Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with support from the ICRC, distributed essentials such as clothing, kitchen utensils, hygiene items, hoes, blankets, sleeping mats, buckets and tarpaulins to 1,080 families between 30 October and 5 November.

SOUTHERN EUROPE: Recent days have seen countries in southern Europe faced with extreme weather conditions, including severe rain and storms. Most affected were south-east France and the north-west regions of Italy. Italy in particular was hit by two devastating waves of flooding in a period of ten days, which have so far left 17 dead. The Italian Red Cross is focusing on urban search and rescue (USAR), health care, food assistance, shelter and psychosocial support activities for those affected by the floods.

LIBYA: Although fighting has ceased in most of Libya, civilians continue to be injured or killed regularly by explosive devices. In Bani Walid, and particularly in Sirte, where the highest concentration of ordnance is to be found and the humanitarian impact is the most serious, the ICRC is launching urgent campaigns to educate people about the risks. Removing the threat of explosives in heavily contaminated areas will take considerable time and resources.

TUNISIA: At the same time as bells rang the end of the Gaddafi régime in neighboring Libya, Tunisia was experiencing its first democratic election polls since the fall of the Ben Ali régime. A wind of change from the Arab Spring was in the air, and the Tunisian Red Crescent prepared for anything. With the support of the ICRC, volunteers made extensive preparations to provide help should it be needed. The elections went smoothly and there was no need to activate emergency first aid preparations.

IRAQ: While the security situation in Iraq has slowly but steadily improved, there are many humanitarian needs that still have to be met. The ICRC is expanding humanitarian activities in disputed territories and in the belt around Baghdad, giving priority to women heading households, physically disabled people, primary health in rural areas, displaced people and others who are not getting the services they are entitled to.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Duck and Beaver Fans: A Second Way To Win Big!

Do you log on to OregonLive.com to catch up on news, weather, entertainment and most importantly....sports? This year, OregonLive continues as a sponsor for our 10th Anniversary Civil War Blood Drive...and offers you, the dedicated donors, a second way to win big!

Log on to OregonLive.com today and you'll notice that the front page is filled with OSU orange and UO green!

Follow the link to contests.oregonlive.com/cwblooddrive for a second way to win tickets to the game, $100 gift cards for OSU/UO gear and more! ...and don't forget to donate blood or platelets so you can truly say you "bleed orange" or "bleed green" for your team.

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

THAILAND: Severe flooding continues to impact Thailand, particularly the capital of Bangkok and its surrounding communities. Relief has been difficult to deliver as navigating the widespread flooding takes several extra hours by truck, and often utilizes boats as well. Since the floods began in late June, Thai Red Cross has distributed more than 175,000 family kits almost with almost two million bottles of drinking water.

TURKEY: Relief continues to be delivered after the October 23rd 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Eastern Turkey. At least 590 have died and nearly 100,000 may be displaced. The IFRC is working to augment to Turkish Red Crescent’s response, with member societies donating items for the winter (including 60,000 blankets, 3,600 sleeping bags, 3,000 tents, and 1,300 heaters).

CAMBODIA: More than 1.2 million people have been hit by flooding that has affected Cambodia since August, with the Kampong Thom province one of the provinces that has suffered the most. The extent of this year’s flooding, the worst since 2000, has stretched emergency resources to the limit. A total of 143 safe areas had been set up in Kampong Thom, but only 50 of these are still active – the other areas have been inundated by the rising water. At least 21,000 families in Kampong Thom have received flood relief assistance from the Cambodian Red Cross Society.

CHAD: Chad is still structurally fragile as it continues to host almost 285,000 Sudanese refugees, 95,000 Central African refugees and several tens of thousands of migrants from Libya. The ICRC response is evolving from addressing an emergency situation to establishing stability, through projects supporting the Red Cross of Chad. This includes visiting people deprived of their liberty, restoring family links, assisting displaced persons with returning home, treating the wounded, and preventing violations of humanitarian law. In addition the Red Cross of Chad, supported by the IFRC, has sent almost one thousand volunteers into communities to spread the word about how to stop a growing cholera epidemic.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

10th Anniversary Civil War Blood Drive Starts Tomorrow!

Rivals for Life - Do You Bleed Orange or Green?

Oregon State University and the University of Oregon Alumni Associations’ “Rivals for Life” Civil War Blood Drive will celebrate its ten-year anniversary this football season!

The annual football themed campaign does more than score points on the field —it helps save lives. Once again, both universities will unite for a common cause—the Statewide Civil War Blood Drive will run November 3 through November 19, 2011 and is sponsored by Oregon State University and University of Oregon Alumni Associations, and OregonLive.com.

Be sure to sign a “Civil War Blood Drive Ballot” when you come in to donate at any participating blood drive across the state of Oregon. The ballot will enter you in a drawing for one of several pairs of 2011 Civil War game tickets, a $100 certificate to the Ducks or Beavers store, or a Civil War party package!

During its ten-year history, fans, students, and alumni of both schools have seen nearly 60,000 presenting blood and platelet donors (8,385 in 2010) to help hospital patients during the two-week drive. The campaign helps ensure that medical needs of families and friends here and across the nation can be met during the winter months.

It is imperative to keep our blood supply ready and available—when and where it is needed. The blood collected during the Civil War Blood Drive helps bolster supplies at a time when holiday events distract us from regular blood donation. Unfortunately, illnesses and injuries requiring blood transfusion do not take a break for the holiday season and hospital patients still need blood.

Please schedule a donation on behalf of either the Ducks or the Beavers at any blood drive, statewide, between November 3 –19, 2011 by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or in Lane County, call Lane Blood Center at 541-484-9111 or search for local drives at CivilWarBloodDrive.com. This is an ideal opportunity for any fan to make a tangible difference in the Civil War football rivalry.