Let's Be Red Cross Ready

With National Preparedness Month steadily approaching, I decided to take some time to talk about what it means to “Be Red Cross Ready”. Each year, the American Red Cross works with the surrounding community to ensure that people are ready for any disaster they may face; however only 7% of Americans have taken the necessary actions to prepare for disasters.

Let’s make a vow that this year, we will take the necessary steps to make sure that our families, businesses, and schools are prepared for whatever may come our way.
By following three simple steps, we can protect our families from disaster. We need to:

1) Get a Kit
2) Make a Plan
3) Be Informed.

Your kit should include the basics and should be easily accessible at home in the case of an emergency. When making your plan, have a meeting with your family and discuss several evacuation routes. Make sure you practice each route several times so that your family members will feel comfortable evacuating if necessary. Your local American Red Cross and RedCross.org can offer you plenty of information and resources. One great resource the American Red Cross offers is the Ready Rating Program. This program allows businesses and schools to do an assessment of their preparedness and learn what changes they can make in order to become more prepared each year. Visit ReadyRating.org to find out more about the program and to become a member.

Preparedness is a choice, so let’s choose to do all we can to keep our families, businesses, schools and communities safe!

The Hurricanes Come Rumbling Through

With Hurricane Alex building strength in the Gulf of Mexico, I think now is the perfect time to start preparing ourselves for the Hurricane Season. No, I’m not talking about our Stanley Cup-winning hockey team. I’m talking about the huge storms that can cause millions of dollars in damage, and take thousands of lives.
North Carolina has seen its fare share of hurricanes in the past ten years; Hurricane Fran in 1996, Floyd in 1999 and Isabel in 2003. Needless to say, it is important to make sure we are prepared in case we have some unexpected visitors this year.
Now, we shouldn’t run out and buy everything the store has like we’re preparing for the end of the world, but a few things will ensure that we will be safe if a hurricane should strike. Some things that are good to have on hand include: Flashlights, batteries, emergency candles, a first aid kit, a 3-day supply of water and non-perishable foods, medications, personal hygiene and sanitation items, and your family’s emergency contact information. TriangleRedCross.org provides lots of resources for families during hurricane season, so please visit TriangleRedCross.org/Ready in order to get a safety checklist and learn what to do before, during, and after a hurricane.

Safe for the Summer

I'm so glad that summer is almost here! I have never really enjoyed the winter. I mean, I love the snow and all, but I don't really like being out in the cold. The first warm day we had, I took my dog, Zeus, to lake Johnson for an afternoon walk. I guess a lot of other people had the same idea as myself because it seemed like everyone in Raleigh was out that day...fishing, walking and playing near the water's edge. It brought back some great memories from when I was younger, but it also reminded me of how important it is to be safe when we're out having fun.

Now that the temperatures are rising and the weather is nicer, more and more people will be heading to pools, beaches and lakes...the perfect places to spend time with your families and escape the North Carolina heat. But just keep in mind, when your out having fun, that water can be extremely dangerous. Last year, an average of 10 people drowned every day! By being a little more cautious, many of these tragedies could be avoided. Please visit triangleredcross.org to get a summer safety guide and find out how to keep your loved ones protected. So have fun this summer, but more importantly be safe. Happy Swimming!

Alex is Home

I was very excited yesterday to get a visit from Alex Alexis who had just returned from a 30 day deployment on the USNS Comfort in Haiti. Alex is a Triangle Red Cross veteran volunteer, originally from Haiti, who began his Red Cross affiliation with the Haiti Red Cross in the 1970s.

Alex relayed the most heartwarming stories to me, not about the devastation of his home country, but about the joy and humanity that often comes from the worst of situations. As we talked, he and I reflected on how his stories reinforced everything we already know; that it is the things in life that really matter that get us through tragedies: having our family by our side when we are in pain, knowing that those we love are safe and cared for, knowing that we can provide the basic needs in life for our families, and having a community of support around us when we need it most.

We can always break it down to a set of numbers or stories, but what keeps volunteers coming back to serve, disaster after disaster, is also the most rewarding thing about working with the Red Cross. Knowing that we are providing, not just the most basic needs, but also the most important needs. Food, shelter, comfort and hope. That is what the Red Cross is all about.

- posted by Lu Esposito, Director of Marketing