Showing posts with label Red Cross Month. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Cross Month. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

... Although Many Wear Red!

By Geoff DeLizzio, Chief Operating Officer

In March we celebrate American Red Cross Month and honor those who dedicate themselves to our mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in our community, country, and around the world.  (See President Obama’s Proclamation Here)


Everyday Heroes Helping Every Day 

In the first 2 months of 2014 the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region has responded to over 100 incidents and served over 450 clients in every jurisdiction throughout the DC Metro Area. We’ve responded to those impacted by house and apartment fires, water main breaks, gas and power outages, and set up emergency shelters during the extreme weather events of January and February.

We continue to train our community in First Aid, CPR, and general preparedness. Recently we launched the Pet First Aid App that provides advice for everyday emergencies such as the treatment of wounds, shock, heat-related emergencies and CPR for both dogs and cats. In February alone, over 30% of incidents we responded to included pets needing love and care. 


On any given day you can find an American Red Cross blood drive throughout our region. Due to the extreme weather there is still an urgent need for blood donors. Ever wanted to save a life? This is how you can do it today!  (Find a donor site here)


Heroes Helping Heroes

The American Red Cross is also present on most military installations throughout the DC region. Our heroes directly support the troops and their families by giving workshops on topics such as coping with deployment and resiliency training, serve as volunteers on installations including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir, and greet our wounded warriors every week when they arrive at Joint Base Andrews


Our volunteers have already been busy in 2014. We cannot do it without them and we need more heroes. 

How Can You Get Involved?

I may be biased, but our volunteers are HEROES! A big THANK YOU to all those who serve: past, present, and future!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Being Prepared!

Prince George's Disaster Action Team Calls for More Volunteers

By Jessica McEntee, Communication Intern


Lennox Jones channels the Red Cross value of preparedness. As the volunteer Disaster Action Team Coordinator in Prince George's County, he's currently looking for even more volunteers to help staff his busy team.

A Disaster Action Team (DAT) is the first response to calls requesting Red Cross assistance. Comprised entirely of volunteers, the team is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Currently, sub-teams that should be filled with 12 to 14 volunteers are working with only 2 to 2 volunteers. Prince George's County is frequently affected by home fires and had over 85 Red Cross fire responses in the last year alone. Despite their passion to help others, Lennox's understaffed team is feeling the effects.

"The greater need of families in distress propels me to move forward even when my body tells me I'm too tired," says Lennox, whose calling on county residents to join the Red Cross movement.

There's a need to not just respond to the daily response, like home fires, but to be prepared for larger events as well. Lennox wants to use this time to train new volunteers for large-scale disasters. 

"One of the things I love is going out to help families," says Lennox.

Lennox says that he decided to get involved with the Red Cross in order to do something more with his life after retiring from George Washington University. He always had a desire to get involved in emergency management and response, so, in 2013, he joined the Red Cross as a volunteer DAT responder in Prince George's County. He was recently promoted as the team's Coordinator. 

Lately, Lennox's teams has been short on manpower and he's hoping for more volunteers to help out.

"We're looking for people whose desire to help surpasses their desire to be comfortable," says Lennox.

It also happens to be a great time to get involved since March is Red Cross Month! If you're interested in volunteering in Prince George's County for the Red Cross Disaster Action Team, please contact CHNCRVolunteerEngagement@redcross.org or call 703.584.8444. 

Any contribution helps!