Disaster Preparedness Initiative

Our leader and CEO, Maree Wacker, was recently featured on Comcast Newsmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington, hosted by veteran journalist Ken Ackerman.

Showing off her scientific chops in describing the potential for a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake—i.e., "The Big One"— and how to deal with the aftermath, Maree discussed with Ken the Oregon Red Cross' new Disaster Preparedness Initiative, with the goal of getting 90% of Oregonians prepared for a major disaster with personal and/or business emergency plans in place.

You can also catch the segment all day on CNN Headline News - Channel 45 - at 54 minutes past the hour now through February 19th (except in Prime Time).

We need your Red Cross stories!

For most people, encounters with the Red Cross never go beyond the occasional office blood drive or what they see on the news after a major disaster. It’s hard to explain the people behind the stories, and the very real effect the Red Cross has on those lives, unless you've experienced it yourself.

That’s why we need you. If you've been helped by the Red Cross, in any way, this is your chance to give back by sharing your story of the American Red Cross with a national audience.

Whether you were helped following a house fire or a flood, received a blood donation, were able to give life-saving CPR, were assisted by our Services to the Armed Forces, or are a volunteer remembering a special moment from a disaster deployment, your story is one we want to share.

Tell us how you were helped and what that meant to you. Go to: https://american.redcross.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=ntld_great_stories to find out more.

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/EASTERN EUROPE: Parts of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Serbia, Romania and Russia have been gripped by wind, heavy snow and temperatures as low as -26°F. Over 80 people have died from hypothermia and frostbite, and the chill has caused power outages, traffic chaos and the closure of schools and nurseries. Red Cross Societies have been working around the clock to meet the basic needs of the affected people with hot meals, warm clothing and blankets.

MEXICO: Drug related violence in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez (on the US border) has put health care in danger, risking the lives of medical staff and often preventing patients from getting the treatment they need. The ICRC has been working with the Mexican Red Cross on improving safety for their volunteers and staff, developing a specific protocol to respond to emergencies by confirming that police are at the scene, the victim is alive and needs pre-hospital care.

FIJI: Severe flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains on Fiji’s largest island of Viti Levu have forced thousands from their homes to seek safety in evacuation centers. Staff and volunteers of the Fiji Red Cross Society have been responding to the immediate needs of many of those displaced and has started distributing emergency relief items to over 3,000 people in 74 evacuation centers and communities isolated by the floods.

IRAQ: The new Nasiriya physical rehabilitation center opened this week and will be capable of treating 500 patients a year, providing them with artificial limbs and rehabilitation services. The ICRC has built the center in coordination with Iraqi health authorities, and it is the second physical rehabilitation center built by ICRC water and sanitation engineers in Iraq following completion of the Falluja center in 2008. 35,000 people with a disability have benefited from ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation services in Iraq since 1993.


GLOSSARY:

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

Rally For The Big Game With Us!

In anticipation of the biggest football day of the season, the American Red Cross Clark County Donor Center's drive this Thursday, February 2nd from 11AM-5PM is football-themed!

Presenting donors are encouraged to have fun and bring friends! Sport enthusiasts encouraged. There will be a drawing for giveaways from Fred Meyers, Butcher Boys, Cottman Transmission, and Kazoozdles (children's toys). To schedule an appointment, please call (360) 989-2932. The Clark County Donor Center wants to thank you for your continuous support and commitment!

Graphic courtesy of super-bowlnews.blogspot.com

February: Red Cross Partners with Body Worlds and the Brain!

Starting Friday, the Red Cross is partnering with Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds and the Brain! All blood and platelet donors who present to donate on Friday or Saturday during the month of February at the Portland, Salem, or Vancouver Red Cross donor centers will receive a free ticket to the Body Worlds and the Brain exhibit.

Appointments are preferred and you can schedule your donation appointment online at a Body Worlds blood drive or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

All-New Exhibition
BODY WORLDS & The Brain includes more than 200 authentic human specimens—including entire bodies, individual organs, and transparent body slices—preserved through von Hagens’ plastination process. This all-new presentation highlights neuroscience, brain development, and performance and invites profound reflection on the power, beauty, and fragility of the amazing human body and brain. Specimens on display stem from body donors, individuals who donated their bodies specifically to the Institute for Plastination.

Exhibition location information:
OMSI 1945 SE Water Ave. Portland, OR 97214
503-797-4000 I www.omsi.edu/bodyworlds

Hours of operation:
Sunday – Thursday 9:30am – 5:30pm
Friday – Saturday 9:30am – 9:00pm

Donor eligibility involves minimum age, weight and health requirements. Donors must present a donor card, driver's license or two other forms of ID prior to donation. Individuals unable to donate blood can still make a contribution by sponsoring a Red Cross blood drive or volunteering with a local Red Cross Blood Services Region, making a financial contribution, or by learning more about the American Red Cross Humanitarian Services.

Our website's First-Time Donor section includes information about what to expect when giving blood, tips for a successful donation, and an explanation of what happens to your donated blood.

Winter storm wrap-up and thank you!

The Governor's office sent us a nice note - actually they sent it to Tricia who, along with a roomful of incredible staff and volunteers and over 100 responders in the field, led our response - to thank us for our efforts during the winter storm.

In the note they said. "The shelters and assistance were critical for the central coast, Willamette Valley and out in Hood River."

Hear Hear! Over the course of the storm, the Oregon Chapters of the American Red Cross:

Opened 9 shelters and evacuation centers and assisted several more;

Red Cross workers served over 600 meals and snacks;

Volunteers distributed over 130 clean up and comfort kits, and;

Over 8 days we had 200 people responding to the storms, doing damage assessments, helping displaced families and working with local communities to make sure everyone was safe and well.

All this was on top of opening our warming center in Portland for 2 nights for over 150 people just prior to the storm hitting.

As we catch our breath, we thank everyone who helped out, volunteered, donated blood and supported us in our efforts. We couldn't do it without you!

A neat story in the O with a Red Cross connection

By Jim Beseda, The Oregonian. Photo by Motoya Nakamura, The Oregonian

A year ago, Jefferson High School's Deion Guice seemed to be a big-time, big-program college football prospect -- until his transcript came into play.

He barely was doing enough in the classroom to remain eligible for the Democrats, and the chances of him getting admitted to a major university seemed questionable.

Last May, Guice accepted an invitation to Portland State's Junior Day. Vikings coach Nigel Burton first praised him for his athletic ability, then blasted him for his academic shortcomings.

That got Guice's attention.

Read more at OregonLive...