So you're saying there's a chance....

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Well, you DO have a second chance to win free BASH*2012 tickets!!

Haven't told us your "Red Cross Story" yet? We've gotten some good ones, but we want more! Sooo....we've extended the Red Cross Stories contest through the month of April! We want to hear from everyone, so to get started, simply send us your answer to one of the following questions:

Click here to send us your story!

• If you're a donor, why do you choose to give to the Red Cross?
• If you or a loved one have ever received Red Cross assistance, how did we help you?
• If you are a volunteer, is there one particularly memorable moment during your time with the Red Cross? Or even simpler--why do you volunteer your time and talents with the Red Cross?

Here's an example to that last question, sent in by one of our amazing Disaster Mental Health volunteers:

"My job during disasters is the best job to have.  As a disaster mental health worker, I get to talk with victims and try to help them cope with their emotions. I'm always amazed at how people's survival skills kick in during a disaster.  Listening to stories of people outrunning a tornado and getting to safety just in time, or hearing about the horrible things they saw and will always remember, then finding ways to lighten their load and find support systems, is very rewarding for me."

Remember, your Red Cross Story doesn't have to be anything long--just send a line or two to the link below by 5pm on Friday, April 27th, and we'll announce the winner of a pair of BASH*2012 tickets on Monday, April 30th.

PS--make sure you're following @redcrossBASH on Twitter for another fun contest getting underway next week!

Practicing what we preach

Here at the American Red Cross, we constantly encourage people to take steps ahead of time to prepare in case of disaster. So it would be pretty hypocritical of us to not do the same thing. That's why several of our emergency services staffers and volunteers gathered at our Clement Mansion headquarters Saturday to take part in a table-top "disaster drill."


Volunteers check out staffing availability
during "disaster drill"



Shortly after arriving at 9am, we were presented with our mock scenario: massive flooding was occurring around Silver Creek and Cazenovia Creek, and residents would be evacuated. It didn't take long for the team to jump into action, doing damage assessment, working with first responders and community partners to figure out what would be needed where, finding out what staff and volunteers would be available to operate shelters over the next several days, and more disaster response activities.

Throughout the day, we were presented with different scenarios that might occur during the course of an actual event. For example, we were told that one evacuee was concerned about the care for his hundreds of horses, and we had to reach out to other organizations to try to find someone who could assist him.

The Southwestern New York and Western New York Tri-County Chapters joined the American Red Cross, Serving Erie & Niagara Counties as part of this drill, which tested our capabilities as an entire region. The lessons learned (I learned that I need to not only communicate with the media and public, but do a better job communicating with the different teams responding to the disaster) will be implemented into a "business plan" going forward, improving our response should an actual disaster take place.



Volunteers assess the "damage" to figure out where
to focus the Red Cross response



It was really impressive to see what these volunteers are capable of. Not only did everyone sacrifice a part of their weekend for a "drill", it's amazing how quickly and capably they responded to an ever-changing scenario, and how seriously everyone took their responsibilities.

If you want to help turn heartbreak into hope the next time disaster strikes--be it a single-family house fire, widespread flooding, or anything in between--we are always looking for new volunteers. For more information, contact volunteer coordinator Christine Kukelka at christine.kukelka@redcross.org or (716) 878-2140.