Join the Movement. Become a Volunteer!

March is Red Cross Month; the perfect time for people to learn more about our mission and perhaps become part of a movement that exists around the world, created to help all people. A member of Benson's Rose Festival Court, Destiny Camara-Fulton (far left), is a member of the Red Cross Club.

Involvement of young people with the American Red Cross is more important than ever. The American Red Cross currently offers over 169,000 youth and young adults with meaningful opportunities for education, training, and volunteer/community service, so they might remain a part of the American Red Cross family throughout their lives.

We often hear people ask, “How can I help?” after a disaster strikes. One of the surefire ways you CAN help is to get registered and trained with your local chapter. Volunteers can be called upon to respond to anything from a local home fire to a large scale national disaster like the tornadoes in the Midwest this month.

Join the movement. Become a volunteer!

Red Cross Launches Huge Tornado Relief Response

The American Red Cross has launched a large relief operation across 11 states to help people affected by yesterday’s devastating tornado outbreak in the South and Midwest. Weather experts reported as many as 95 confirmed tornadoes touched down, destroying communities from the Great Lakes to the Southeast.

“Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this week’s severe storms,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president, Disaster Services. “Our top priorities right now are making sure people have a safe place to stay, a warm meal and a shoulder to lean on as they begin to clean up their neighborhoods. The Red Cross is also working closely with our government and community partners to make sure everyone gets the help they need.”

Friday night, the Red Cross opened or supported 22 shelters in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Across the affected states, trained Red Cross disaster workers are mobilizing to begin feeding operations and distribution of relief supplies. Red Cross health services and mental health workers also will be out in neighborhoods help people cope with what they’ve seen and experienced. And damage assessment teams will also help the Red Cross and our partners discover the full scope of the damage.

If someone would like to help people affected by disasters like tornadoes and floods, they can make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to their local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Those affected can let loved ones know they are safe by registering on the secure Red Cross Safe and Well website, where they can also update their Facebook and Twitter status. If you don’t have computer access, you can also register by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Loved ones outside the disaster area can use Safe and Well to find information about loved ones in the affected areas by using a pre-disaster phone number or complete address.

Please Join Us at the 2012 Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions

March is 'Red Cross Month' and the Oregon Red Cross will be honoring local heroes who have displayed courage and compassion at our March 6th Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions.

“This is our largest charitable event of the year,” said Maree Wacker, Regional Executive of the Oregon Red Cross. “We celebrate the mission of the American Red Cross; the idea that we can all be a part of something bigger than ourselves. We also honor hometown heroes and we put together an amazing interactive experience for everyone that attends.”

When a massive EF 5 tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri on May 22nd, it completely destroyed over 7,000 homes and left damage to 75% of this city of 50,000 (the same size as Corvallis).

Joplin native Jack Jewsbury, the Portland Timbers all-star midfielder, heard from his father that his family members were safe, but his hometown had suffered catastrophic damage.

Jewsbury, the Timbers and their legion of fans raised thousands of dollars for the American Red Cross disaster relief effort, which helped send over 800 Red Cross workers to Joplin; they, in turn, helped families hit by the tornado get back on their feet.

DeOna Bridgeman of Canby witnessed a teenage boy being struck by a truck and trailer. She rushed to the boy’s aid and saved his life by performing citizen CPR until paramedics arrived.

When a rare, but incredibly damaging tornado struck Aumsville in December 2010, Dean and Marcia Howell, and their family, mobilized to respond to the immediate needs of their community.

Chelsea Carpenter used her CPR training to aid a woman who had collapsed in a parking lot. After EMTs arrived, she offered assistance and emotional support to the woman’s daughter.

The David Douglas High School football team responded to a call for blood donations during their summer break by bringing their entire team into the Portland Blood Donation Center.

The Oregon Red Cross will be honoring these and other amazing local heroes who have displayed courage and compassion at the Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions on March 6th in the Oregon Convention Center.

"The heroes we honor are unselfish, caring individuals who stepped up to help, heal, and comfort, sometimes in someone’s most desperate hour. And that’s what this event is all about -- celebrating those who would put aside their own needs to come to the aid of others," said Wacker.

Please join us at the 2012 Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions. Contact Tracy Madsen at 503-528-5692 for information regarding attending this charitable event.

When We Celebrate We Do It Right. #BlackHistoryMonth

Meet Local Heroes at Upcoming Oregon Red Cross Fundraiser

March is Red Cross month and the Oregon Red Cross will be honoring local heroes who have displayed courage and compassion at our March 6th Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions. This event, which is the Oregon Red Cross' largest fundraiser of the year, celebrates the mission of the American Red Cross; the idea that we can all be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

When an incredibly damaging tornado struck Aumsville in December 2010, Dean and Marcia Howell mobilized to respond to the immediate needs of their community.

In their words “After surveying the massive mess, we talked about our need to get involved in the cleanup.” They gassed up their front-loader tractor, and a 14-foot, high-sided dump truck, and went to work. For three days, with family members serving as their crew, Dean and Marcia gathered orphaned siding, fallen trees, and other storm debris, hauling multiple loads to a facility to be recycled.

Of the experience, Marcia said, “We believe we have a responsibility, or better yet, an ‘opportunity’ to care for those around us in meaningful ways, especially during times of need.”

In Oregon, the Red Cross responds to an emergency once every 16 hours - but the Red Cross does much more than respond to disasters. We train everyday people in lifesaving skills. We assist members of the military and their families. We provide transportation to essential appointments for the elderly and disabled. We provide warming centers in response to particularly cold nights in the winter. We educate the community about emergency preparedness. And we reconnect families separated by war or disaster.

Each year, the Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions features an interactive theme that draws you in to experience first-hand what it is like to be helped by the compassionate volunteers of the Oregon Red Cross. This year, the Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions will highlight the awesome power of natural disasters and the role of the Red Cross in responding to them. Contact Tracy Madsen at 503-528-5692 for information regarding attending this charitable event.

When you arrive at the Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions, you will find yourself physically immersed in episodes of tornado, earthquake, wildfire and floods, and witness Red Cross efforts to shelter, feed and care for Oregonians displaced by these disasters. Arrive early to give yourself time to explore this multimedia experience. Then enjoy breakfast and a heartfelt celebration; marvel at the touching stories of local heroes as we honor them for their acts of compassion, bravery, excellence and selflessness.

These individuals are the beacons of hope many see in their most desperate hours. And that’s what this event is all about -- celebrating those who would put aside their own needs to come to the aid of others. Please join us at the 2012 Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions, the Oregon Red Cross' largest fundraiser of the year. Contact Tracy Madsen at 503-528-5692 for information regarding this charitable event.

You're Making Us Proud Portland.

The Portland Red Cross received an incredible gift to help us celebrate the first day of Red Cross Month!

See the photo to the right? That's not just another cluttered desk - each slip of paper (blurred for privacy) in this massive stack represents a person's commitment to donating blood or platelets, getting trained in CPR/1st Aid, volunteering for disaster relief, providing financial assistance, or a combination of these lifesaving actions.

This overwhelming response came as a result of two recent outreach events in the city. Wow.

To all of you Portlanders who have a long history of supporting us, are just recently commiting to help or are considering that first step in making a difference for those in need, we thank you.

Saving. Giving. Living. Join In.

Do you need an aircraft carrier to be prepared?

One of the core fundamentals of the American Red Cross is disaster preparedness, and earlier this week the state of Wyoming showed quite the initiative in being prepared for 'anything'.


Wyoming House Bill 85 would have allocated $16,000 for a panel of legislators and emergency managers to study various measures, including a new state-issued currency, for handling a range of doomsday scenarios. Wyoming's Department of Homeland Security already has a statewide crisis management plan, but it does not include the so-called doomsday scenario. To add some humor, and introduce a 'poison pill', some legislators tried to introduce an amendment that mockingly asked whether Wyoming should purchase its own aircraft carrier and fighter jets (Wyoming is land-locked). Unlike most states that are in financial strife, Wyoming has $14 billion in savings and assets.

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead laughed off the idea of being the only governor to command his own aircraft carrier saying, "If we got an aircraft carrier, we'll need a bigger lake." The largest body of water currently in Wyoming is Lake Yellowstone which is deep enough to hold the largest Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. I thought it would be entertaining to visualize an aircraft carrier in a small lake...


However, the big natural disaster Wyoming potentially faces is the Yellowstone Supervolcano exploding... which is located directly under Lake Yellowstone (in recent years the geology under the lake has started to rise significantly). Who says you need to put an aircraft carrier in water? You could always airlift one and place it at a high, out of reach location such as Devil's Tower...


Unfortunately, House Bill 85 was narrowly rejected 30-27 in a final House vote. Maybe they watched the short-lived TV series Jericho, that featured the aftermath of nuclear attacks on the US with Wyoming taking over (SPOILER ALERT: ...after a Wyoming contractor examined similar 'what-if' scenarios and decided that instigating nuclear attacks would be good business sense).

OK - so an aircraft carrier might not make sense for Wyoming, but Oregon has considered one for disaster preparedness...

March is Red Cross Month!

March is ‘Red Cross Month’, as first proclaimed in 1943 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Since that time, every president, including President Obama, has designated March as ‘Red Cross Month’. The American Red Cross uses this time to communicate the range of its services to the public, and for fundraising. How did this tradition come about? Read more about the history of Red Cross Month. The Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 emergencies and disasters every year in the U.S., providing shelter, food, emotional support and other necessities to those affected. It provides 24-hour help to victims of house fires across the country. It also offers 24-hour assistance to members of the military, veterans and their families – in war zones, military hospitals and on military bases around the world. Finally, it collects and distributes more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply and trains more than 9 million people in first aid, water safety and other life-saving skills each year. This month, the American Red Cross is asking everyone to help those in need by contributing to the lifesaving services it provides. “Red Cross Month is a great time for people to aid our mission. Their kindness and generosity will enable us to continue our work, both here at home and across the globe,” said Maree Wacker, Regional Executive of the Oregon Red Cross. The Red Cross is not a government agency and relies on donations of time, money and blood to do its work. An average of 91 cents of every dollar given to the Red Cross is invested in helping the people the Red Cross services. Regardless of nationality, political beliefs, religious background or anything else, the Red Cross is there for everyone. In this year’s proclamation, Obama encourages “all Americans to support this organization’s noble humanitarian mission.” “Please remember those who need our help by making a donation, becoming a volunteer, taking a class, or giving blood,” Wacker said. “When you do, know that you are part of a movement that exists around the world, created to help all people.”