Coffee & Doughnuts!

Got your attention now, haven't I? I know I can't start my day without a cup (okay, usually two cups) of joe, and my waistline can attest to the fact I've enjoyed a few doughnuts in my day as well. But these morning favorites have led to a misunderstanding that has lasted for 70 years!

During World War II, the Red Cross continued its long-standing tradition of Services to Armed Forces, supplying plasma that saved tens of thousands of lives on the battlefield; shipping 28 million packages of food and comfort items to 1.3 million allied prisoners of war; handling 40 million messages between soldiers and their families; and making 2.5 million loans to help with emergencies. Still, many WWII veterans and other community members have one question: "Why did the American Red Cross charge soldiers for coffee and doughnuts during World War II??"

Photo courtesy
www.7thfighter.com

It's a perfectly reasonable question. After all, our Services to the Armed Forces have always been (and continue to be) free. And there's a perfectly reasonable answer: The American Red Cross did sell coffee and  doughnuts to military personnel during World War II for the only time in its history, at the request of U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson (you can see his letter to the Red Cross below). The request was made as a matter of morale: service agencies in Britain could not afford to give away similar items, so it was deemed to be "impractical and undesirable" for American soldiers to receive these services for free while their British allies had to pay. The American Red Cross complied with the request and sold these items at or below cost, did not profit from the sales and has never again charged military personnel for refreshments.

As the late Paul Harvey used to say, "Now you know the rest of the story."

Looking sharp!

If you visit our national website, www.redcross.org, today, you'll notice something different. The entire website has been redesigned, the first step in making it quicker and easier to engage with the Red Cross online.

The biggest change you'll see is the way the website looks--crisp, clean, modern, and hopefully easy to navigate. But this makeover wasn't done just for looks! Using new technology, the site will highlight content based on your location and history, meaning someone searching for CPR courses in Chicago will see a different home page than a visitor in Tampa looking for hurricane relief information. This should make it quick and easy for you to find exactly what you are looking for.

As we said, this is just step one in making redcross.org a one-stop shop. In the coming weeks, our Chapter website (www.buffaloredcross.org, if you didn't know) will "migrate" to the new website. Don't worry--you'll still be able to find all the information about what we're doing in Erie & Niagara Counties and how you can help in one place. In fact, we'll have our very own section of redcross.org that will look just as sharp as the national site, and thanks to the new technology, some of our local content will even show up on your national homepage! And of course, we'll continue to constantly update this blog as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages with news about the Red Cross in Western New York as well. (Spoiler alert--the new website will also include links to all of our social media pages!!).

So take a look at the new redcross.org, and leave a comment letting us know what you think. And stay tuned--www.buffaloredcross.org's makeover is coming soon!!

Making that "Night Out" a little safer for everyone

On Tuesday, various communities across Western New York and the nation joined together for the 29th Annual National Night Out, designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness and strengthen neighborhood spirit. What better way to increase that spirit than to make sure community residents know what to do in case of an emergency??

Louise Porter discussing important safety tips during
West Seneca's "National Night Out" event at Southgate Plaza

The American Red Cross was proud to take part in two area National Night Out events Tuesday--at the Lincoln Arena in Tonawanda and the Southgate Plaza in West Seneca. In Tonawanda, Regional Preparedness Coordinator Denise Herkey-Jarosch and volunteer Bonnie Klein provided attendees with materials designed to help them prepare for various emergencies, and Denise even demonstrated hands-only CPR! Prepared and Ready coordinator Louise Porter joined with intern Nicole Roma to let the community in West Seneca know what the Red Cross can do for them.

At Lincoln Arena in Tonawanda, Bonnie Klein teaches a
youngster about the importance of emergency preparedness

In all, well over 450 preparedness materials were distributed on the night, covering topics ranger from water safety to how to perform hands-only CPR. The Red Cross thanks the agencies responsible for National Night Out for inviting us to be a part of the evening, and hope that we have done our part to make these communities a little safer for everyone.

If you'd like to schedule a FREE emergency preparedness education program at your school, business or other organization, just contact Denise at denise.herkey-jarosch@redcross.org or (716) 878-2231.

Dealing with Disaster

It seems that every story on the news lately has been about one of two things: The 2012 London Olympics, or tragedy. Just today comes the news that the suspect in the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. That disaster came on the heels of the Colorado Theater shooting. Closer to home, the Niagara County community of Wilson continues to recover from a fatal house explosion last month that left the surviving family members homeless and grieving.

Here at the Red Cross, we are blessed to have a team of trained, talented and experienced Disaster Mental Health volunteers on call to help our disaster clients deal with their emotion response to a traumatic situation. However, as we saw with the Wilson tragedy, the surrounding community can be deeply affected by the situation as well. Friends and classmates of the teenage girl that passed away and her siblings, extended family members, friends and acquaintances, even emergency personnel that responded to the scene were all touched by this situation. People who didn't even know the family may find themselves disturbed or depressed by the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.

While our Disaster Mental Health services focus on the victims themselves, it's important for the rest of the community to know that it's normal to feel anxious, stressed or depressed following a disaster, and that it's okay to seek help. One great resource for community members touched by tragedy is the Disaster Distress Hotline. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide emotional support and local referral information for those experience distress following a disaster. Just call 1-800-985-5990 or text TALKWITHUS to 66746 to reach their regional call center.