If you saw me today, chances are, I was grinning ear to ear.  I’m generally a happy person, but today was special. Why you ask??? Because today, the greater St. Louis community (my hometown!) got to learn a bit about the Red Cross Disaster Action Team (a group I’m passionate about) and the assistance they provide to disaster clients (another group I’m passionate about).

A couple of weeks ago, St. Louis Post Dispatch reporter Greg Jonsson and photographer Laurie Skrivan did several “ride alongs” with the Disaster Action Teams who respond in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. They got to see Red Cross volunteers, on the front lines, providing for the immediate emergency needs of families affected by disaster. They did an outstanding and accurate job documenting what they saw and they share the DAT story in today’s Post Dispatch.  If you haven’t seen the article yet, here’s a link.

It’s the last week of 2009…a time to remember the year that was, and look forward to a new beginning with the turn of a calendar page.

It’s also a time to make donations to charity, so you can get that last-minute deduction on your taxes.

I know, it sounds kind of selfish for only giving away money during the last week of the year, knowing it will come back to you in the form of a reduced tax bill (or in some cases, an increased tax return!) But many charities, including the Red Cross, rely on these end-of-the-year donations.

In that spirit, the Red Cross is making it even EASIER than EVER to make that tax-deductible contribution – through your cell phone.

I came across this posting on the national Red Cross website, and just had to share:

Social worker and Red Cross leader Emily Bissell designed the first Red Cross Christmas Seal in 1907. Bissell hoped the stamps could be sold to raise funds for an experimental tuberculosis (TB) hospital in Wilmington, Delaware.

The stamps were a success—the first supply sold out in two days. The tradition of an annual, nationwide campaign against tuberculosis began. Beautiful stamps were created by many of the nation’s best-known artists and illustrators.

On Wednesday, December 2^nd we at Metro High School held our 5^th blood drive. This blood drive was a huge success. We had a goal of 23 units and exceeded that goal by collecting 27 units of blood. Since each donation saves 3 lives, we are going to be able to potentially save 81 lives. WOW!

YouthCorps has been organizing blood drives at Metro for the past two years and this will be our third year. We have established a tradition of doing two blood drives each school year, one in the Winter and one in the Spring. We feel that this is especially important now with the current shortage in the blood supply.

Here's a look at our recent Holiday Mail for Heroes card sorting event. The St. Louis Area Chapter had some 2,000 cards to sort through! (Photos after the jump!)

Holiday Mail for Heroes was slowed down a bit because the volunteers were eager to share messages added to cards for the active duty and veterans. The cards from children seemed to catch everyone’s eye. Some were simple, some quite detailed, but all were from the heart. Cards came from all over the country for sorting by St. Louis Chapter Volunteers. 

Hello all!

I’ve become a bit addicted to flu updates over the last several months. As a part of my job I have stay on top of any updates or changes to the flu information, so I know the most up-to-date information that’s out there when I speak to the community.

Needless to say, there’s not a lot in the flu arena theses days that excites me. Don’t get me wrong, there is lots of really good information, but reading articles about the flu and how to avoid getting it gets a little dry after a while. Recently though, on my daily visit to flu.gov I found something that got me really excited. It’s an episode of Sid the Science Kid all about the flu. I wasn’t familiar with Sid before I saw this, I don’t have any kids, nieces, nephews, etc., but Sid is a riot. In the special  episode called Getting a Shot: You Can Do It! there is a virus wearing a chef’s hat, a rocking nurse grandma, vaci-zations (or something like that), lots of fun colors and you learn a lot too! I was definitely sitting at my desk laughing.

My wife and I spent yesterday morning at the Jefferson Barracks Hospital.  The project of the day was to prepare gifts that were to be given to each of the patients at a Christmas party this Friday, December 18.

The gift was a nice duffle bag that held several smaller gifts that needed to be wrapped and then inserted into each bag.

The American Red Cross office in Afghanistan is a popular place. So popular, in fact, that they were running out of room.

Around 200 troops come through the office at Bagram Air Base each week, taking a welcome break to savor hot coffee and cold drinks, watch some TV and open care packages from home.

The Red Cross staff at Bagram, “Team 19,” talked about how nice it would be to have a deck on the back of the office so that there would be ample room for troops stopping by. The Air Force’s 624th Civil Engineer Squadron heard this wish and said that if the Red Cross could get the materials, they would build it. The 624th (now the 755th), is based out of Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. They arrived in Afghanistan in September and are billeted around the Red Cross office.

For most of us, a bicycle is nothing out of the ordinary. We see them daily on the streets, in the parks, and in our neighborhoods. They are transportation, recreation and sport. Many of us had bikes as children, first with training wheels and then without. Our families taught us how to ride and put bandages on our knees when we fell. My uncle taught me how to ride a bike and we still talk about it to this day.

Some of us rode our bikes to the soda shop and candy store “way back when” while some of us relied on them in college to get from class to class. Some of our bikes had baseball cards tucked into the spokes, some were accessorized by baskets and horns, and nowadays, some bikes are fancier than your first car.

Walt Ducker is a Red Cross Disaster volunteer who served during Hurricane Katrina.

It was August of 2005 and Walt was moved by the suffering Hurricane Katrina left in her wake. He signed up for Red Cross training and became an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) driver in Gulf Port, MS. Walt reports there were about 40 ERVs in the Long Beach area, each carrying 200 to 500 meals per trip, making two trips each day. “As we went further inland, the devastation became merely severe instead of total,” he said, “driving was difficult. People had lost everything.”

Picture if you will, a young soldier, away from home for the first time. His wife has just given birth to their second child- another beautiful boy. While there were no complications during his wife’s delivery, a minor situation, causing a significant breach in the health of this young soldier’s newborn son, was detected just moments after his birth.

Knowing that the American Red Cross provides connections during emergencies to military personnel, the soldier’s mother-in-law phoned her local Red Cross and requested her son-in-law call home immediately. As this young man was stationed in Korea, a long long way from his home in Warren County, he used a phone card that had been sent to him by a friend. While he was glad to learn of his son’s arrival, he was worried about his health, so he spoke with his First Sergeant and discussed the possibility of taking emergency leave. Within 24 hours, the young soldier had been granted leave, and was already off on his journey home to investigate the well-being of his family thanks to the connection made by the Red Cross.

Winter is in the air. I love the colder temperatures and snuggling into a warm fuzzy blanket on a cold winter day. Like Linus in the Peanuts cartoons, my blanket provides me a sense of security.

However, as a member of our local Disaster Action Team (DAT), I know the colder temperatures often mean more house fires. While responding to these house fires, I give blankets to our clients. Sometimes, if their coat was destroyed in the fire, a client might use a Red Cross blanket to keep warm while they talk with the Firefighters and the DAT. If the family plans to stay with friends or relatives while they repair their home, we give them Red Cross blankets to use there. Many times a Red Cross blanket is the first “new” possession for a client who has lost everything. When I wrap a client in a Red Cross blanket, I am wrapping them in the compassion and comfort of donors like you. 

Susanne Harlandt grew up as the daughter of a career Army officer during a tumultuous time in our country"s history – the Vietnam War. She saw first-hand how a war affected those who served in it and wants to dedicate her life to providing support to the members of the armed forces.

For the past four years, Harlandt has worked with men and women in the military as part of the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) program. She has helped the men and women serving in the military in Korea, Iraq, Germany, and her current assignment at Fort Carson, Colorado. She has been with the Red Cross since 2001, first as a volunteer for the Mt. Baker Chapter in the state of Washington, and, for the last four years, as a member of the SAF staff.
 

If you knew that a $1.00 vaccination could prevent your loved ones from contracting a deadly disease like Cancer or Heart Disease, what would you do to help? For many around the world, this isn’t a hypothetical question, but a reality. Measles is among the world’s most contagious diseases and one of the leading causes of death among children worldwide. A $1.00 vaccination is often the difference between life and death.

While $1.00 may seem like spare change to Americans, the change it can make in a child’s life is priceless. 

Being new to the Red Cross and the Disaster Action (DAT) team I didn’t knew what to expect when riding the DAT truck. One particular night we were called out to a fire with a single family who was affected. When we first arrived at the fire seen I didn’t realize the impact of the fire until I saw the family sitting on the porch of their neighbors house utterly devastated. Looking across the street to where their house of 20 years once stood, all I could see was 3 walls and the darkness of the charred interior fill the space. My team and I knew that the family was going to need more than comforting words.

It was a blistery cold, snowy winter night in February 3, 1991 when my mom had the gumption to host an overnight birthday party for her second-grade girl and five of her friends. My friends and I roller-skated in the basement, played pin-the-tail on the donkey and lots of other games. When it was just about time for cake and ice cream, the cold temperatures mixed with the snow and ice around the electric lines caused the power to go out. We were left in the dark. Of course, all of us girls started screaming and gathering around one another, but my mom was as a cool as a cucumber. She lit the candles on the cake and told us we better hurry up, sing Happy Birthday and eat or the ice cream was going to melt. As an eight-year-old trying to celebrate her birthday with close friends, my hopes of a perfect birthday came crashing down.

Cindy Redmond, a Red Cross volunteer at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, tells of a young wounded patient arriving from Ramstein, Germany. The young man was very worried about making a phone call to his parents who did not know he had been shot.

Once he was settled, Cindy obtained a phone card and helped the young man dial home from his wheelchair. When the wounded soldier told his mother the news, she would not be calmed. The young man asked Cindy Redmond to reassure his mother, and handed her the phone. After a reassuring conversation, the mother asked Cindy to say with her son until he fell asleep.

A story of global compassion:

At the time of Peru's deadly 2007 earthquake, 20-year-old Milagros of Condorillo Bajo was at work inside a textile factory.

“We were startled, and started to think about our other family members. We wondered if everyone was OK; it was terrible day,” she explained.

Fortunately, her older sister Rosario, who was miles away inside their adobe home, safely evacuated with her two small children, grandmother and aunt. While they were relieved no one was injured, the family was overwhelmed by grief as they looked at their crumbling house. For the next month, they slept outside, taking turns on a couch they pulled from the rubble, fearful of aftershocks and afraid to leave behind everything they owned.

In the blink of an eye, a person’s life can be altered. The roof could be gone, power could be out, and in seconds a person can lose everything. I remember the Florida hurricanes of 2004 very well. Three of them went over our house causing the well to contaminate, roof needing to be replaced, and we had many days without power. There were so many people needing the basic essentials of life. Recovering after one hurricane is tough enough but after the second one, the food stores couldn’t even recover- then came the third hurricane. People lined up waiting for the National Guard to hand out ice, MRE’s, and water. A lot of people did not want to stay in shelters and bared life without air conditioning at home, afraid of looting. Shortly after, I moved and made Kirkwood, MO my new home.

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter works hard every day to reach into the community with our messages of HIV/AIDS Education. From guest speaking in schools, to working with AIDS Service Organizations incorporating HIV+ peers into their care programs, the St. Louis Area Chapter delivered messages about HIV and AIDS to over 31,000 individuals in the St. Louis area last year.

You know that feeling you get when you’re just about to give someone a gift that you know they’ll love? They carefully inspect the package, give it a gentle shake, and wrinkle their nose as they try to guess what it could possibly be. You giggle in anticipation. If they don’t open it soon, you will be forced to rip the paper off for them. They carefully lift the tape from the packaging and remove the box lid, but your eyes are fixed on their reaction. And in a split second, all of the squirming, the countless hours, dollars, and brain power you spent searching for the gift are all suddenly worth it just by seeing the look on their face.

More than ever, women nationwide are taking an increasingly prominent role in philanthropic investments in their communities. That’s true here in St. Louis, where I am proud to be one of seven Founding Members of the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter Tiffany Circle.

Oh, Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie with whipped cream, family gathered around, the beginning of the holiday season, Black Friday shopping, flaming turkeys… Well, we hope that you have all those except the flaming turkeys! Every year around this time a video from the Underwriters Laboratories emerges showing how not to use a turkey fryer. Needless to say every year people across the country try out the fryer and don’t follow those instructions. Not following proper precautions when using a turkey fryer can lead to serious injury and damage to homes. If you decide that frying is the way to go please remember the following rules:

Santas around the country want to be put on the priority list for the H1N1 vaccine, since they are around children all day including those who are sniffling, sneezing and coughing (and maybe not covering those coughs and sneezes!) Unless Santas get added to the priority list, though, most are going to have to depend on good old fashioned good hygiene to stay healthy for the big night. Many Santas are reviewing the steps they can take to prevent getting the h1n1 or the seasonal flu, so they can make it through the season merry and bright! Now we all hope that our children have learned their hygiene lessons and practice them all the time, but all good little girls and boys should review before they go visit Santa this year to keep themselves and Santa flu-free:

Monday, October 26, 2009

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Dear Volunteers:

In March 1951, Private First Class Green Finley Jr., died in North Korea. He joined the Army in 1950 and nearly 60 years after he left home, Private First Class Green Finley Jr. is finally home

To honor PFC. Finley and to show support to his family during this difficult time, the American Red Cross will line the entrance of Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery while his family and friends enter to attend his service.

We are asking that any volunteers, their family, and friends who would like to attend and pay respects gather at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Friday, November 20^th, beginning at 12:30 p.m., but no later than 1:00 p.m.  We will be lining the road to show our support and at the same time not be intrusive to the family during their time of grief.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

One of the perks of my job is getting to work with businesses and organizations around the St. Louis Community who generously support the Red Cross. A perfect example is Maritz.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Sunday, October 11, 2009

This Veteran's Day, we salute all those who have worn a U.S. military uniform. Through the Red Cross emergency messaging program, 475 times a day a Red Cross worker connects a deployed service member with his or her family. Here's one story:

When Milissa was 24 weeks pregnant, she made what she considers one of the most important phone calls of her life. It was to the Red Cross.

During a routine ultrasound, her doctors told her there were complications with the baby. All she could think about was how badly she needed her husband, Juancarlos—but he was stationed in Iraq, thousands of miles away.

Growing up, I can still vividly remember so many of the lessons I learned from my pals on Sesame Street: the difference between near and far, how crayons were made, and even more serious topics like death. As PBS marks the 40^th anniversary of the show that has educated several generations of children, I took a stroll down memory lane (via youtube) to see how those shows of the 1970s and 1980s have stood the test of time, and what the two and three-year-olds of today are watching.

The Sesame Street of today is a bit different than the version I grew up with:

I just came across this story on the National Red Cross Blog and I thought I’d pass it along to all of my St. Louis Area friends. Now you have a really really good reason to spoil yourself this holiday season…   -Lindsey

The Red Cross Club at Parkway South High School recently had a fundraiser for our local Red Cross chapter.  The goal: Sell “Spikeyz” toys for $1 each, raising $150 and awareness about the Red Cross club.

The result? So far, they’ve raised almost $200! A big thanks to Jennifer M, Laura, Meghan, Sanjana, Ratna, Sarah, Poornima, Hima, Yousra, Shivi, Brittney, Robert, Lisa and Jennifer C!  Way to go, Parkway South!!

It’s funny to me that the word “google” has become a verb. When I don’t know something, I simply say, “I’ll google it and find out.”

So, I guess it isn’t surprising that when a new strain of the flu developed and people were unfamiliar with it that they began to google it. In fact, Google believes that they can show a close relationship between the number of flu cases and the number of times the word “flu” has been searched for. They are so sure that they have a whole website devoted to Google flu trends and have had their results published in the journal Nature.

If you haven't encountered the flu yet (sick kids at school, co-workers coughing near you, long lines for flu shots) chances are - you will eventually. And as we continue to hear national news reports about the spread of the H1N1 virus and the limited availability of a vaccine, it can be easy to "tune out" some important information.

So take a half-hour tonight to really explore the issue of the flu (seasonal and the H1N1 variety) with an in-depth special called "Living With the Flu" on KETC Channel 9 at 7 p.m. KETC is using its capabilities on-air, online and in the community as the region’s trusted public media organization to connect residents to H1N1 prevention and immunization resources through a network of trusted community agencies - including the American Red Cross.

American Red Cross Volunteers support our community in many different ways. Many give their time in areas that are closest to their hearts.

Halloween is all about extreme makeovers- the chance to take your normal self and transform into something scary, cute, ridiculous, or laughable. For instance, at the Red Cross office today, I saw a Lawn Gnome in Pay Roll, Snow White in Health and Safety, and a Vampire in Volunteer Resources. I’m pretty sure I even witnessed Germ-X fighting off the Swine Flu down in the Disaster Department.

Trivia time! What do the BeeGees, Matt Lauer, and the Red Cross have in common? Give up? For one man these things were a matter of life and death.

I love falling back! Getting that extra hour of sleep makes my day (actually, let’s be honest, it makes my month!) I know it’s hard to believe it’s that time already, but November 1^st is Daylight Savings time, and it’s important to remember that, in addition to changing your clocks, it’s time to change the batteries in your smoke alarms. You should change the batteries at least once a year, but for everyone who needs an easy ways to remember things, Change your clocks, change your batteries- it’s a perfect tool to act as a trigger! Changing your smoke alarm battery on November 1 is also a great way to cap off Fire Prevention Month (which was October.)

Every so often, I think it is interesting to see what other Red Cross chapters and volunteers are doing in their communities. So when I came across this blog post from a Red Crosser in Kansas City, I just had to re-post. Please enjoy!

By Sherri Odell, Greater Kansas City Chapter Leadership Volunteer
Originally posted to her page on Sat., Oct. 17, 2009

I like my life very planned…I like order…I like to KNOW what is coming up…What I don’t like are surprises. As a volunteer with the Red Cross, it would really be ideal if we could plan when a disaster was going to happen, so I could schedule it accordingly on my calendar. You know, as in, “Oh, lunch next week? Let’s see - I have the dentist on Monday, a disaster on Wednesday – which will probably take at least 2-3 days – but Thursday works for me!”

Trick or Treating is one of my kid's facorite nights of the year. Running from house to house in the dark filling their trick or treat bag or pillow case until it is overflowing with goodies. Then they rush home to drop off their loot - and start the process all over again collecting more treats 'til all the porch lights go out. As a parent, I worry about them being safe out in the dark tripping or falling. I just purchased the American Red Cross LED Glow Stick for my 10-year-old daughter and her friends for piece of mind.

The Glow Stick is great. This 200-hour LED Glow Stick combines an emergency flasher, flashlight and emergency whistle, all in one lightweight, compact device. It is a great item for Halloween, but would also be great to keep in your car, kitchen or bedroom for wasy access in case of an emergency.

It’s refreshing to see that most Americans are taking the flu seriously. According to an recent Red Cross survey, 78% of adults are washing their hands more carefully and frequently compared to only 55% in May. (Remember 20 seconds!) Also 75% of adults are taking more care in making sure they are covering their coughs and sneezes. Women are more like than men to be taking these steps, for instance women are almost 20% more likely than men to be cleaning surfaces with disinfectant at home and at work than men (72% of women and 53% of men.) One thing that may not surprise American men is that women are also 20% more likely then men to be giving others advice on how to avoid the flu (58% of women are giving out advice, compared to 38% of men.)

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month. I’ll admit, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. If you’d asked the average person what Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) was, their answer would likely be "a heart attack." But comparing SCA to a heart attack is like comparing apples to oranges.

• Heart attack: A circulation problem in the heart, when arteries supplying the heart get blocked. Oxygen in the blood cannot reach the heart muscle, and the heart muscle becomes damaged. Generally, there are symptoms prior to a heart attack like difficulty breathing, numbness in arms, tightening of the chest or upper back pain. These symptoms help to recognize the emergency and get medical help on the way.

Have you ever wondered what the Fire Department is all about? What's it like to be a professional firefighter? Do you know how to use a fire extinguisher? In September, my husband and some of our very own American Red Cross staff and volunteers got to experience a small taste of what it’s like to be in a firefighter’s shoes.

I was happy to arrive at another shift of the Disaster Action Team on the Sunday four to midnight shift. I had thought, driving in, that it would have been a very quiet night, however when I arrived that was not the case. I learned that there was a very large apartment fire that happened in the morning, which the morning team, as well as a back up team, was helping. When we arrived we did our best to get ready for the night shifts. However, shortly after we had our DAT truck ready, we had a fire involving a family to go to. This family’s story stuck in my mind most of the night and continuing through the day. We arrived at the house shortly after the firemen had put out the fire; however, the house was completely destroyed. We saw the house first and the family sitting on a neighbors porch second. It was very heart-wrenching sight. The owners were utterly devastated.

Fall makes me nostalgic for my college days, and particularly the weeks surrounding Homecoming. As a student at Mizzou, and a member of the Greek system, Homecoming was more than just a tradition – it was practically a religion. Mizzou stakes claim to creating the “Homecoming” concept back in 1911 for the football rivalry between Missouri and Kansas. Today, football still reigns strong. But beyond the game, months are spent strategizing plans for a float, house decorations, a skit and, of course – the annual Red Cross Blood Drive.

Last month I showed you the cutest little video of Elmo teaching kids how to properly wash hands and stop the spread of germs. It turns out Elmo is just as passionate about pandemic flu safety as we are here at the Red Cross which is why he is continuing his healthy habits crusade.  

After enlisting the assistance of his neighbors (ya know, Ernie, Bert and the gang), Elmo teamed up with the Red Cross to distribute “Healthy Habits for Life,” an informational tip sheet for parents and children. Creating healthy habits can be daunting to anyone, but young children in particular may not always understand exactly how germs spread. But with encouragement from parents and a little help from their Sesame Street friends, children can easily learn that there are certain things they can do to stay healthy, especially when they do them during their everyday routines with the adults who care for them.

There is a lot of talk in the media right now about the H1N1 flu. Because of large numbers of absences Jefferson R-VII school district made the decision to close and we are hearing about school closures in other parts of the country as well. The best way to think about these closures is like a snowday. When a school closes due to the snow it is as a precaution so that students and their parents aren’t on the road when conditions are not favorable. Closing due to a large number of flu absences gives a school the chance to clean their facilities and the sick students get a chance to get healthy.

As a Disaster Specialist, I spend much of my time responding to local disasters and making plans to prepare for and prevent future disasters. I love my job. But my favorite role in life is being an Aunt – I have two nephews and two nieces. Recently I had the opportunity to share a bit of my professional life with some of my youngest family members.

Last week I got to spend the entire day with my 4 and a half year old niece, Elly. I’m not sure which one of us was more excited about spending the day together!   We had a jam-packed, fun filled day planned: baking cookies, shopping together and exploring the St. Louis Science Center.

Traveling long distances today is commonplace. Whether for work or for leisure, most of us have had the very routine experience of boarding a plane, taking your seat, enjoying your bag of peanuts or complimentary frozen meal, perhaps even a complimentary beverage (if you’re lucky), and landing at your destination- maybe half way across the country, maybe half way across the world. Either way, it really doesn’t hit you until you step out onto the sidewalk with your luggage and hail a cab that you’ve gone any where at all. But it very quickly gets interesting if for example you don’t know the language, or you can’t find a currency exchange, or your luggage never left Chicago. We’ve all been there, or worse. But even in the worst of circumstances eventually, the luggage arrives; eventually, you find your hotel, and eventually you get back on a plane returning from whence you came, and you arrive back home, safe and sound.  

As the parent of two pre-schoolers, I often play the game “how are these things alike?” If you’re reading this, you’re much more sophisticated than my kids, but indulge me for a minute and play along.  

• When we were looking for child care for our first baby, my husband and I turned to the Child Day Care Association of St. Louis for advice, resources, and even the files for the providers we were considering.
• One of my nephews went through the Wyman Center’s teen leadership program and is now working his way through college.

If you still need a seasonal flu shot, starting today Barnes Jewish Hospitals are offering FREE flu shots. Or you can call 2-1-1 for a list of places in your area. 

• What is the incubation period (the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms) of the flu virus? The estimated incubation period is unknown and could range from 1 to 7 days, and more likely 1 to 4 days.

So I’m pretty sure we all see the importance of being prepared for emergency situations, whatever they may be. Thanks to the Red Cross I know my First Aid and disaster response. I know how to keep myself healthy during a pandemic. And I am fairly confident our community businesses and schools could operate during and after a disaster. There’s just one thing I’m not so sure about…Zombie Attacks.

Monday, September 28, 2009 8:45 PM
Subject: Monday is still a bad day

This morning another earthquake struck near the Samoan islands, an area already devastated by earthquake and tsunami damage which killed more than 130 people.

The earthquake from this morning registered as a 5.5 on the Richter scale. The original quake on Tuesday was an 8.0-magnitude, and triggered a tsunami. According to news reports, four tsunami waves about 15 to 20 feet high came ashore.

Saturday - 12:47 a.m. "Atlanta"

Well  I made it this far and I'm living large tonight - I'm actually in a hotel called Extended Stay America. That may, and probably will, change tomorrow when I check in at HQ. I may wind up any where in Georgia, Mississippi or even the Carolinas. I'll keep you posted.

I arrived here after dark so I haven't seen anything yet, but , with all the lights I don't see where there are any power outages. They'll probably show me where they are tomorrow.

This morning, we were at the Ready Rating SMT or “Satellite Media Tour,” which is a series of live interviews from St. Louis that appear on TV and radio stations across the country. Joe White (American National Red Cross) and Laura Reeves (Anheuser-Busch) did a great job promoting the Ready Rating™ Program. Because they had to be on the air for morning shows on the East Coast, it was an early wake-up call (my alarm went off at 3 a.m.!). But Joe and Laura didn’t show any signs of sleep deprivation. A big thanks to Washington University in St. Louis for being our 150th Ready Rating Member, and allowing their campus to be the backdrop of the SMT.

Be prepared for emergencies. At one time or another, we have probably all heard the words, but until I started working at the Red Cross, I never really gave it a second thought on what it means. But in the past two years of working at the Red Cross, I’ve seen the organization provide assistance to those affected by fires, floods, tornadoes, windstorms, hurricanes and more.

Last night I thought about where I would start if I was a business, school or organization researching on how to be prepared for an emergency. So, I did what any internet guru would do—I googled the phrase “be prepared.” Can you believe there were 58,800,000 results!

Every Thursday for the past 7 years, Ed Fogarty has faithfully come to Chapter Headquarters at 6:30 a.m. to prepare the cambros for his Disaster Action Team (DAT) shift. His early arrival was entirely by choice.

“In the summertime, I figure, the earlier you make the cambros, the colder they will be. It takes a few hours to get cold, and I want it to be ready in case there is an early morning fire. Besides, I figure I miss the traffic.”

It’s that selfless attitude, Ed’s subtle sense of humor, and his pride and dedication that his team will miss. But mostly they will just miss his presence.

As the six survivors gathered around the Celebration Cake and blew out the candles, everyone in the room agreed this gathering should be the first of many.

This was the scene at the close of the First Annual Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Birthday Party Blowout held back on June 2. The Birthday Party, hosted by American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter, was held during National CPR and AED Awareness Week and attended by Cardiac Arrest Survivors, their spouses, and two young daughters of one of the survivors. Six amazing stories were heard from individuals who beat the odds and survived sudden cardiac arrest because someone knew what to do, someone called 911, or someone knew CPR and there was an AED close by!!!!! I was extremely touched by the immediate closeness everyone in the room seemed to develop in such a short time. It was like they had known each other for years-all tied together as a result of a common life-changing experience—brought back to life by the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator).

Everyone has their own memories of where they were eight years ago on September 11^th.  For me, I was in a meeting at my office on Park Avenue and 29^th, about 2 miles uptown from the World Trade Center.   When the 1^st tower was hit, many of us thought it was a little single engine plane that nicked the tower so we continued on with our day.  Shortly after that we decided to turn the TV on and we all watched in horror as the 2^nd tower was hit.  I spoke to my husband shortly thereafter and as a pilot he had heard the 2^nd plane go over the city and knew that the plane was in trouble.  Since many of our staff travel via subway and on the line that goes under the World Trade Center, we started doing a head count.  Twenty minutes later our last staff member, Joy, arrived in shock and covered in soot.  Thankfully, all of our staff were accounted for. Sadly, a few weeks later we would learn by seeing a picture up on a street sign that we lost one of our former employees, Amy, who I later found out from her mother was attending a seminar on the 102^nd floor.

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter recently partnered with Metro and the makers of Germ-X to distribute free hand sanitizer and pandemic preparedness information to St. Louis area Metro riders.

Last week I tagged along with Red Cross staff and volunteers to help pass out Germ-X and our Home Care for Pandemic Flu flyer at the Central West End Metro station. And of course, I brought my camera along for the ride.

Click on read more to check out my video from the event! 

In 2004, my son and I moved here from Florida after a devastating hurricane season. We had to move away from everyone we knew, our friends, his school, my work, our church, and all the organizations we assisted and were part of. It was a very tough time for us moving to a city where the only person we knew was my dad. On top of that, my son Daniel was extremely ill. 

For that reason, September is the month of so many memories for me. It’s the month in 2004 where dad flew us up here for a week while our roof was being replaced between Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. It was my first Greentree Festival, and it was in September when I met former Kirkwood Mayor, Mike Swoboda for the first time.

The Germ-X and flu information distribution has been one of those projects where it was the right people together at the right time. Using the Metro to distribute this information is great because you see a real crossroads of the community at a Metro stop.

Wednesday we distributed information and Germ-X to 2500 people at the Central West End Station.  I won’t lie-getting up at 4:00 am has been difficult, but it’s completely worth it if it gets people to wash their hands, cover their cough and stay home if they are sick.  

I often wonder if there is anything more adorable than my trusty childhood pal Elmo. There is something about that little guy and his Sesame Street friends that, even today, still causes me to stop on PBS when channel surfing. However, today, I discovered something that is, in fact, much more precious than Elmo himself…It's Elmo teaching preparedness and flu safety!!! It doesn’t get much better than that…

Click on "Read More" to watch the video!

A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday night, we were heading to a two-alarm fire in Huntleigh, MO. Regularly, I drive the truck on Friday nights which is generally the busiest night, so I have worked with fire departments from all over St. Louis County and the City. This particular area we were heading to do not see fires very often so listening to the scanner on the way, I was not sure what to expect.

As Red Cross volunteers, we have two jobs at a fire scene: 1) To assist the family, and  2) To help make sure the emergency workers stay hydrated. The American Red Cross in the St. Louis area is much different from other Red Cross chapters. Because of the donors we have here, we are able to supply this service to the emergency workers. Every day, there are firefighters all over the area putting their lives at risk for us.

Days like today are why I love my job. Our chapter honored 10 people from around the St. Louis area who did something incredible to save a life! 

I am talking about everyday folks -- your friends and neighbors. These incredible individuals understood the importance of learning CPR, First Aid, and water safety to help their community. Even though none of them expected to ever use these skills in an emergency, they were prepared.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I am addicted to CW11 shows like One Tree Hill. So I was a little intrigued when I saw previews for the newest addition to the CW11 line-up: The Vampire Diaries. I haven’t jumped on the whole Vampire Bandwagon just yet, so I wasn’t quite sure what to think.

But now I’ll definitely give the show a try since the CW Network, Alloy Media + Marketing and the American Red Cross are joining forces to host blood drives at more than 230 of the country's high schools and colleges. The "Starve a Vampire. Donate Blood." campaign will run for five weeks with a goal to collect more than 3,400 blood donations.

On Sunday, August 16 Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, 31, was killed in Afghanistan.

I got a hair cut about 10 days ago, but the stylist ignored what I asked for and free lanced all over my head. Cut too short, my naturally curly hair erupts into an afro at the least excuse. Humidity is a dandy excuse; when ISN”T it humid in Missouri? I’ve pretty much been wearing a hat ever since. 

 Arriving for my DAT shift I was excited because Friday nights were supposed to be THE night for fires. Which I wanted, seeing how I had been on two rides before with no activity. While listening to the radio we kept hearing a dispatcher talking about a commercial fire at a salvage yard and noticed they were calling out quite a bit of equipment. It was a massive fire at a car salvage yard! Our team leader for the evening decided to call the dispatch to see if the chief wanted us to canteen (that is, provide water and snacks for the emergency responders.) We listened on the radio as she asked and had to laugh when we heard one of the firemen say “wondered when they were going to call.”

Next time someone tells you that your ‘Tweeting’, ‘Facebooking’, and ‘YouTubing’ is a waste of time, you just let them know that your addiction to social media is potentially saving lives.

Our disaster services department is hard at work everyday making sure the St. Louis Area Community is prepared for disasters. That’s why it came as no surprise when our Disaster Warehouse Manager, Tony- while brushing up on his disaster research- shared with me some great information from the United Nation’s Risk Reduction Conference earlier this summer.