Oso Deployment – Letters of Support

Yesterday, we discussed the spirit of community in Darrington, Washington – home of an emergency shelter for victims of the Oso mudslides. The spirit and sense of fellowship is alive and well with ongoing support from the youth of Oso.

“The walls are lined with letters, cards and posters of support, many from the children in the area. As I read some of them, my heart was hurting for this proud, strong town. Healing and recovery won’t be easy or fast, but we will be here supporting all affected by this tragedy for as long as it takes.”

Sometimes, it’s as simple as providing hope through encouraging letters to let others know that you feel for them, thank them, and are with them.

Helping O-so Much

Last month, we told you about Red Cross relief efforts in Oso, Washington, and thanked you for supporting the victims of that tragic mudslide. We are one Red Cross and during disasters like this, volunteers respond from around the country. Todd James – executive director of American Red Cross of Hancock, Seneca, and Wyandot Counties – was recently deployed to Oso to to help with communications on the scene.

“Today, we visited the site of the SR530 slide. Finding the words to describe the enormity of the event and the devastation is difficult. I am still having a hard time comprehending this disaster, it’s far outside my scope of experience. The one aspect that I do recognize is the sight of hundreds of dedicated people working to provide relief and recovery to the families affected. Please, continue to keep these families and communities in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.” – Todd James, April 9, 2014.

We will be taking a special look into Todd’s journey this week as he weighs in on Oso, shares his experience, and offers a view first-hand perspective from the front lines of disaster response.

Awarding Invaluable Efforts

According to recent survey, a volunteer’s time is worth $21.40 an hour in Ohio. Since July 2013, our volunteers have provided our Red Cross with $406,086.40 worth of assistance. Isn’t that amazing? We honored some of their efforts on April 10th at a volunteer award luncheon in Allen County. Here’s a list of the award recipients:

Larry Flick – Clara Barton Award
Carole Hume and Janet Eilerman –
Volunteer of the Year Award
Jasmine Binod – Youth of the Year Award
Paul Brown – Frances Miller Award
Timothy “Bo” McComas – Flickinger Leadership Award
Your Hometown Stations – Organization/Business of the Year Award

The event provided volunteers with door prizes and desserts while recognizing service tenures ranging from 5 years up to 70 years (incredible, VaLaire Orchard!) You can read this article for more information about our awards or check out additional photos from the event here. Congratulations to all of the winners and a special thank you for all you do to support our mission.

Don’t miss out! See how you or a friend can become a volunteer too.

Calling All Cars

To honor our local fire, police, sheriff, and EMS/rescue units, more than 220 people were in attendance this past Sunday, April 12, at the Napoleon American Legion for our Hometown Heroes event. We work hand-in-hand with different emergency personnel who help us respond to a disaster every 19 hours. Fire, flood, or tornado, we can always find those flashing lights and sirens nearby, assisting families in need. We provide canteening services – that is, beverages and sandwiches – to these brave men and women, but this event gave us all a chance to really show how much we care.  Our 2014 celebrated heroes are:

Mike Smith – Deshler Volunteer Fire Department
Jeff Brubaker – Hamler Volunteer Fire Department
Bradley A. Strickland – Napoleon City Police
Tracy Busch – Henry County Emergency Management Agency
Dave Samlow – Florida/Flatrock Volunteer Fire Department
Rick Spiess – Liberty Center/Washington Township
Volunteer Fire Department
Eileen Stough – Ridgeville Township Volunteer Fire Department
Jerry E. Wolf – Holgate Volunteer Fire Department
Tim Cereghin – Napoleon Fire & Rescue
Larry Aelker – New Bavaria Volunteer Fire Department
Marc Ruskey – Henry County Sheriff Office
Janine Reimund – South Joint Ambulance District
Eric Klein – Malinta Volunteer Fire Department

Guests enjoyed a personalized cake donated by Chief Supermarket, an ice sculpture by Chad Hartson of Ice Creations, and a variety of raffles and prizes. The Henry County Volunteer Fireman Association also surprised us all with a very generous donation. It was a spectacular evening! Check out some cool photos from the event and thank you to our heroes and everyone who came out.

 

I-rish You Were Here

Looking for a great way to spend Friday, April 18th and eat for a good cause? Look no further than downtown Toledo!

You can donate to our mission just by eating! If you show this image to your server on April 18th, 10% of your food bill goes to support the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio. That’s right – you get a chance to make a charitable donation just by ordering some of The Blarney Irish Pub’s famous fish & chips, chocolate cake, or any number of delicious items that are available on the menu. For those of you recognizing Good Friday, bring a friend to support our efforts.

We put a few of these flyers in circulation at the rockin’ Toledo Free Press Mud Hens opening day event downtown. If you have one of those, come on down! The Warehouse District is home to places like Fifth Third Field (to stock up on your Mud Hens gear for their next home game), The Art Supply Depo (for art supplies and Toledo memorabilia), Huntington Center (to buy tickets for upcoming events), and The Blarney – for really amazing eats and beverages! Every 19 hours we respond to a disaster – take one or two of them and visit The Blarney this Friday!

#NVW – Wapakoneta Wonder

It’s Tuesday and that means it’s day two of our National Volunteer Week highlight. Today, we feature Linda Carmean!

Linda is a very active volunteer who serves on the Auglaize County Disaster Action Team. The picture shows her in action, helping monitor and facilitate our booth at the Mercer Healthy Living Expo. She also helped Lima with the recent Mardi Gras event and she even fills roles at the Wapakoneta office in place of others. Thanks for all of your hard work, Linda!

We’re always looking for volunteers. To learn more and sign up, go to redcross.org/volunteer. Also, check out our Team Red Cross app to get trained to respond to major disasters in our community.