The Sacrifices We Make

This story is a very beautiful and very sad example of the sacrifices that individuals sometimes make in order to do something that they believe in, to do something to make the world better for others.  We would like to take this time to honor the sacrifice made by Hussein Saleh a Yemeni aid worker with the International Federation of the Red Cross  who lost his life on his way to provide aid to one of Yemen’s southern called Abyan. Yemen is a fairly small country that shares it’s northern boarder with Saudi Arabia.

Of Hussein it has been said by his colleagues that “He was a very motivated and devoted staff member. He played a tremendously crucial role within his team helping hundreds of thousands of people in the south, and lost his life while performing humanitarian work.” (Washington Post) He was killed on June 20th and leaves behind a pregnant wife and four young children.

The goal of this article is not to sadden you but to inspire you. It is to make you aware that heroes can be found in every corner of this earth. And to make you aware that the Red Cross is not only in areas impacted by floods or wildfires, its in areas wrought with war and conflict as well.

Here is the original article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/red-cross-says-staff-member-killed-in-yemen-airstrike/2012/06/20/gJQAqnSoqV_story.html

*We do not own the above photographs.

Its that time again…Summer Ready Swim Safety Tips!

Pool Safety

Learning to swim is one of the best steps you can take to be safe around water. Almost two million people of all ages learn to swim each year through Red Cross programs. You can contact your local aquatic facility to find out when Red Cross Water Safety programs are offered.

Here are some steps you should follow to stay safe around the water:

• Swim only in designated areas supervised by lifeguards. Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.
• Prevent unsupervised access to the water. Install and use barriers around your home pool or hot tub.
• Maintain constant supervision. Always stay within arm’s reach of young children even when lifeguards are present.
• Know what to do in an emergency. If a child is missing, check the water first. Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
• Have the appropriate rescue equipment, a phone, life jackets and a first aid kit near the pool.

Watch the Kids
It’s important to constantly supervise children when they are near water. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.

• If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers.
• Never leave a young child unattended near water, and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
• If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.

196 Countries in the World, 187 National Red Cross Groups, 1 Mission

Get ready to cruise around the world!! No not literally I’m sorry to say but in this post we will be checking out what the Red Cross is doing around the globe.

On Wednesday June 13th the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation.  The award noted the work the Red Cross has done in conflict affected regions like Syria and Somalia and in disaster affected areas like Haiti and Japan. The award was accompanied by a price of 50,000 euro (63,000 USD) and a sculpture by artist Joan Miro. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/06/13/red-cross-wins-spanish-intl-cooperation-prize/

The Red Cross Society of China has donated 100,000 USD to Taiwan in order to provide aid to the city of Taipei. The area has been impacted by flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains and the funds will be used to evacuate and shelter people as well as to purchase relief materials.  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-06/18/content_15510341.htm

The Red Cross of Liberia in conjunction with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) has begun distributing seed rice, assorted vegetable seeds, and farming equipment to refugees in Liberia. The distribution began this year in 2012 through the IFRC supported West Africa Population Movement Recovery Program and has been joined by the Liberian National Red Cross Society. The refugees, many of whom are women and children, have expressed great gratitude at the assistance they have been provided with.  The project is said to be impacting approximately 22,000 people in three counties.  http://allafrica.com/stories/201206180706.html

In Syria, three Red Cross aid workers were injured when their convoy was caught in a roadside explosion. The aid workers suffered minor injuries and it was the first time aid workers have been injured since the start of the violence in Syria.http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCKXV_lTyY76kOjh-BtzPZD0BE5A?docId=008459d1d8964f2a9e4569374779474e

New First Aid App Now Available!

Today is an excellent day for smartphone users! Available as of last Thursday (June 14th) the Red Cross released a free app available for users of the Iphone and the Android that features a ton of useful first aid information. However, this isn’t the boring ol’ first aid information you’re used to getting, this app provides practical and visual information about what to do in a variety of first aid situations.It shows you step by step how to deal with everything from broken bones to hypothermia and some instructions even come with short videos!

On top of that this app even shows you how to prepare for these emergency situations as well as various disasters including fires, floods and even volcanoes, plus it provides quick, fun quizzes that you can take to test your emergency knowledge. And last but not least this app has a section that you can use if you’re interested in volunteering with the American Red Cross, making a donation or if you have an interesting story involving the Red Cross that you would like to share.  All-in-all this is a really great app for smartphone users of all ages to download and explore, oh and did I mention its free.

Just in case you need a little bit more convincing, take a look at this article that provides even more information about what this app can do. http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=c0d8ae0c897e7310VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

** Also, I know all of our readers are intelligent and careful but we still want to make sure that we stress that this app does NOT replace formal first aid training or care from a trained medical professional.

Oh the places we will go…

Its always great to hear about the American Red Cross in the news! This article http://www.marketwatch.com/story/american-red-cross-continues-to-help-states-hit-by-wildfires-floods-2012-06-12 showcases some of aid the that the American Red Cross provides to disaster effected areas.  Whether it be flooding in the Florida panhandle or wildfires raging through the Midwest, the Red Cross is there helping those in need.

Today, our local chapter has even sent volunteer support to the flood effected areas in Pensacola, Florida! (Hopefully we’ll hear from them soon so we can give you guys an update of what we’re doing to help out.)

Flooding throughout the city of Pensacola (*The American Red Cross does not take credit or claim ownership of this photo)

The wildfires sweeping through Colorado

To donate funds to help out these disaster relief operations call 1-800-REDCROSS or visit http://www.redcross.org.

What does the Red Cross of North Central Florida look like? Well take a look at some of our nifty photos!

Stay tuned folks! There’s plenty more photos to come!

A Big Star Supporting the Red Cross in a Big Way!

As many of you may have heard former American Idol winner and country music superstar Carrie Underwood will be going on a fall tour this year across cities in North America.  So… why are we writing about Carrie Underwood you ask? Well this five-time Grammy winner and multi-platinum artist will be donating $1 from every ticket sold to the American Red Cross!!

Judging by tickets sales its looking like it’s going to be another big year for Ms. Underwood and another big year for the American Red Cross thanks to Carrie as well as the millions of other Americans that graciously donate their money and time to our organization every year!

Check out the article! http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57425429-10391698/carrie-underwood-announces-fall-tour/

In case of an emergency….

If you hear of a disaster, or a potential disaster,  in your area whether it be a wildfire, hurricane, or flood, check to see if the Red Cross has a shelter open near you or your loved ones! http://app.redcross.org/nss-app/

3 weeks, 2 interns, and 1 ERV: Maria and Molly’s excellent adventure!

Check out what some of our chapter’s previous interns have done during past disasters! These videos depict the disaster relief efforts that took place after Hurricane Irene barreled through the Northeaster region of the United States. Our interns were providing assistance to people in need in New York!

Colombia: journalist Roméo Langlois released

May 30, 2012

“Apart from an injury to one of his forearms, Mr Langlois is in good health,” said Jordi Raich, head of the ICRC delegation in Colombia. “We are delighted at the success of this operation. In our capacity as a neutral intermediary, we reiterate the ICRC’s willingness to continue facilitating the release of other people being held by armed groups.”

Mr Langlois had been held by the FARC-EP since 28 April when, while covering a counter-drug operation being conducted by the Colombian army, he got caught in the middle of clashes between the parties to the conflict. The armed group asked the ICRC directly to participate in the handover operation as a neutral intermediary. The operation took place by road using three ICRC vehicles.

Under international humanitarian law covering non-international armed conflicts, Mr Langlois – like all journalists on dangerous assignments – is entitled to the same protection as that granted to civilians.

Media outlets can get in touch with the ICRC if their journalists are captured, go missing or are wounded in a conflict situation. They can get in touch with the nearest ICRC office, call the 24-hour hotline on +41 79 2173285 or send an e-mail to press@icrc.org for help and advice.

The ICRC reminds all parties to armed conflict that they have a duty to respect the lives and well-being of civilians and other groups protected by international humanitarian law, including journalists on dangerous assignments who are not participating directly in the hostilities. The ICRC also urges journalists to take every precaution, when carrying out their reporting activities during armed conflicts, to ensure that the parties can distinguish between combatants and civilians.

This operation brings to 1,475 the number of people held by different armed groups in Colombia whose release has been facilitated by the ICRC at different times since 1994. More than 750 of them have been civilians.

For further information, please contact:

María Cristina Rivera, ICRC Bogotá, tel.    +57 311 4910775
Pascal Jequier, ICRC Bogotá (English and French), tel.    +57 311 4910789
Alexis Heeb, ICRC Geneva, tel.    +41 79 2187610

Original article : http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/colombia-news-2012-05-30.htm