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Sign
up now for the first ever Cypress Gardens
Paradise
River Float-A-Thon
July 19, 2008
8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Cypress Gardens
Winter Haven
Space is Limited!
Pre-Register now to
Reserve Your Spot to Float!
Babysitting Boot Camp returns on July 28-30
 Summer
is here now.
What better time to learn life-saving skills and building on
the opportunity to help your community by providing child care for family, friends,
and neighbors?
The next Babysitting
Boot Camp is just around the corner. Whether you live in Polk or
Highlands County, there is a camp serving you. Space is limited. Sign
up now.
- July
28-30 — 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven. Call (863) 294-5941
- July
11-12 — 6-10 p.m./8 a.m.-5 p.m. — 106 Medical Center
Ave., Sebring. Call 863) 386-4440
Learn
more about Red
Cross Babysitting Training or watch
the video.
PolkVoice
- Sign Up for the Summer Red Cross Babysitting Boot Camp
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National Disasters:
Costs to reach $30 million
Generous donations help replenish Red
Cross National Disaster Relief Fund, but more is needed to meet cost for wildfires, floods, and tornadoes.
WASHINGTON, Friday, June 30, 2008 — The American Red Cross is mounting its largest relief effort since the response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005, surpassing the Southern California wildfires in 2007.
Red Cross response to massive flooding across the Central United States, combined with ongoing relief operations for tornadoes and other disasters since April 1, will cost the organization at least $30 million, according to latest estimates.
At the same time, a badly depleted Disaster Relief Fund means that the organization is borrowing funds to make up the difference between this cost and donations made to the fund. To date, individuals and companies have graciously contributed more than $13 million in donations and pledges. Others wishing to support the Red Cross with this and future disaster responses are encouraged to call 1-800-REDCROSS, or visit www.redcross.org to make a donation.
Many of you have answered the call and have pledged your support.
Good work everyone! Let’s keep it up! Here are some numbers to motivate you:
- $25 provides 5 blankets at an emergency shelter.
- $350 will provide emergency food and shelter for 25 disaster victims for one day.
- View the Information Graphic on Flickr.
The
Disaster Relief Fund allows the Red Cross to provide desperately needed
immediate emergency assistance to victims of all disasters, small
and large. The fund provides for free assistance not only to victims
of major disasters like the recent floods, but also to smaller local
disasters, like house fires. Since the American Red Cross is not a
government agency, it relies on the donations of private individuals
and organizations to provide assistance to those affected by disasters.
A long spring of dangerous weather, from flooding to tornadoes, left
the Red Cross with few financial resources on hand. These current floods
and the threat of an active hurricane season mean the Red Cross needs
significant resources to deal with this and future disasters.
The Red Cross is not a government agency, and relies on individual donations
to run its chapters. Any help you can give in these difficult times
will be appreciated. If you have given to the Red Cross before or have
never donated to the American Red Cross, now is the time. We need you.
Please help your Red Cross, so we can be there to help you.
Donate.
Red
Cross Chat — We're Making Progress
View the Information Graphic on Flickr.com.
Bay
News 9 — American Red Cross: Disaster Funds are depleted
News
Chief — Nonprofit groups face challenges in tight economy
Visit RedCrossChat.org to learn about the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, complete with Diagram.
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Storms are coming!
 The
Red Cross is ready.
Are
you?
Be Red Cross Ready
Before.
During.
After. |
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Hurricane predictions reinforce need to prepare
Prepare
a portable disaster kit in 12 steps
A Mother’s Guide to Preparedness
Amanda Christopher/American National Red Cross
Predictions for an active 2008 hurricane season have left
many families wondering what they can do to help protect their loved ones from
a hurricane
and the high winds, flooding and tornadoes that may accompany them.
Even if you don’t live in hurricane prone areas, the severe
weather and tornadoes that accompany them can affect you. The Red Cross recommends
that by taking three basic preparedness actions you can get “Red Cross
Ready” for disasters and other emergencies 1) Get a kit, 2) Make a
plan
and 3) Be informed.
Now that hurricane season has begun, there is no better time
to prepare your family.
Read more....
RedCross.org — A Mother's Guide to Preparedness
American Red Cross Hurricane Safety Tips
¿Está preparado para un huracán?
Click
here for American Red Cross severe weather safety tips.
Click
here for American Red Cross wildfire safety tips.
Related news:
BayNews9 — First
responders test skills during hurricane drill
The
Ledger — Unflappable Emergency Chief Lets State Sleep Better
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Prevent
home fires
and fire-related injuries
- Did you know that Polk County saw 70 people affected
by home fires in March 2008 alone?
- Did you know that Highlands County has had twice
as many local disaster (home fire) cases this year than last year?
- Did you know that the two counties combined have
had more than 200 local disasters sine July 2007, and still have two
months to go before the end of the year in June 2008?
Fires
kill more Americans and affect more households each year than all natural
disasters combined. Stay safe and well. Check and maintain
smoke alarms, Keep working fire extinguishers in your home and learn how
to use them, and develop and practice a home
fire escape plan, so every family member can escape quickly
and safely.
Be Red
Cross Ready
Read about Fire
Prevention Week (October 2007).
Listen to Sara
Evans and Patti
LaBelle talk about home fire prevention.
CLICK
BELOW to tell family you are 'Safe and Well'
If
you make one call to family before, during, or after a disaster,
have them register you on the American Red Cross "Safe and Well" web
site: disastersafe.redcross.org. Click
the graphic above to visit the site
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 News Log:
Also, read Polk Red Cross news at our other blogs:
PolkRedCross.PolkVoice.com (Chapter News)
polkarcinfo@wordpress.org (Updates for Media)
Red
Cross helps Lakeland family of 5
WINTER HAVEN, FL (July 3, 2008) — On Thursday afternoon, July 3, the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter assisted a couple in Winter Haven after fire damaged their home.
At 3:15 p.m. volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter Disaster Action Team received word about a couple displaced when fire burned a home on Second Street SE in Winter Haven. Volunteers arrived on the scene within 25 minutes and provided the man and woman with temporary shelter, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), emergency assistance for groceries, odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, a Red Cross disaster clean-up kit, and landlord verification forms to assist in relocation.
This fire is the second one in Polk County for the new service year, which began on July 1. Over the previous 12 months, the local Red Cross assisted 207 families affected by local disasters in Polk County. Almost all families were displaced by home fires, whether in individual houses or apartment buildings. Whenever called, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help those in need.
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Red
Cross helps a second Lakeland family of four in one week
LAKELAND,
FL (July 2, 2008 ) — On Wednesday afternoon, the American
Red Cross Polk County Chapter assisted a family of four in Lakeland
whose home was damaged by fire that day.
At 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter Disaster Action Team received word about a family displaced when fire burned a home on Fletcher Avenue in Lakeland. Volunteers arrived on the scene within an hour and provided the family — three adults and a child — with
temporary shelter, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), emergency
assistance for groceries and clothing, odor-control concentrated
cleaner to help salvage items from the home, a Red Cross disaster
clean-up kit, a Ride for the Red T-shirt, and a teddy bear stuffed
toy to help comfort the child.
This fire is the first one in Polk County for the new service year,
which began on July 1. Over the previous 12 months, the local Red
Cross assisted 242 families affected by local disasters in Polk
and Highlands Counties: Roughly two families every three days, or
an increase of more than 100 families over the previous service
year. Almost all families were displaced by house fires. Whenever
called, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help
those in need.
Home fires are the most common disaster that Red Cross volunteers
witness. Volunteers urge families to follow fire prevention tips
and to make and practice fire escape plans to ensure all family
members escape a fire safely. Information on preventing fire and
planning for home fires is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.
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Read more news items
in our Archives.
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Be
the 'Eyes of a Storm' for Your Local Red Cross
Sign up for the Community Disaster Assessment Workshop on July
8.
Each year, residents from local communities learn and
retrain how to prepare for major storms, assess damage after disasters,
and report that damage to the Red Cross. It helps the American Red Cross
gather a clear picture of widespread damage in the area, and then
provide assistance where it's needed.
Training is free. Communities are invited to send up to four representatives — year-round
residents who are physically able to survey and report damage as soon as safely
possible after a storm. Class size is limited, so please
phone, fax, or mail in reservations as soon as possible.
- Call
(863) 294-5941, Fax 293-9626
- Fax
(863) 293-9626
- E-mail linda@polkredcross.org
- Visit
147 Ave. A, NW, Winter Haven.
Read
more...
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Get
American Red Cross CPR & First Aid training
Would you know what to do
in an emergency?
Learn
now.
American Red Cross Polk County Chapter Health & Safety
Department
— (863) 294-5941 or visit the main office
at 147 Ave. A, NW, Winter Haven.
Highlands County Service Center
— (863)
386-4440, or visit 106 Medical Center Drive in Sebring.
See our course listings
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Do
you donate? 
The American Red Cross collects 50 percent of America's blood supply.
In Florida, however, most local chapters do not collect blood, but they do work with local blood banks to promote blood drives and ensure blood supplies stay intact in case of disaster.
Four blood banks operate in the areas covered by the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter and Highlands County Service Center. For information or schedules contact your local blood bank.
If you are able, please give.
BloodNet
Lakeland/west Polk Co.
Florida's Blood Centers Highlands Co.
Florida Blood Services Lakeland RMC
Blood Banks of Mid-Florida Medical Services Winter Haven/east Polk Co.
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Ride for the Red
Need gear? Get it here!
If you didn't get it on the last Ride, order a Ride for the Red T-shirt, Lapel Pin, or Kick Stand Coaster HERE!
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A
Red Cross Moment
'The Best Cup of Coffee I Ever Had'
Allan Richards of Auburndale recalls
Red Cross coffee on a cold morning after the 1997 flood in North
Dakota
Read
on....
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Severe
Weather Information
Florida' s Hazardous Weather Outlook
Learn more at WFLA News Channel
8 (Feb. 13, 2008) — National Weather
Service watching storms
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Homeland
Security Advisory System
Since March 2002,
the United States has lived under one of five levels of possible
terrorist threat. To answer citizens' questions about what
each one means, the
American
Red Cross
has developed
a set of guidelines:
Download
a free copy of Adobe Reader to view
 PDF files on
our web site.
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Beware
of scams
During a disaster,
plenty of people will solicit donations in the name of the American Red
Cross.
Sometimes, they aren't actually working with us.
Don't
become the victim of a scam. Click the link below to learn about some of the most recent scams.
To avoid scams completely, donate at www.redcross.org or through your local chapter.
Read
more...
http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/scams.htm
Since 1881, the American
Red Cross has helped people who suffered from warfare, natural disasters, or emergencies.
Learn about our History from
our National Web site -- www.redcross.org.
Learn about your Polk Red Cross chapter through our publications and related articles:
Annual Reports (pdf):
2005-2006
Annual Report
2006-2007
Annual Report
Newsletters
(pdf):
Highlands
County Jan. 2007
Polk
County Jan. 2007
Highlands
County May 2007
Polk
County May 2007
Highlands County Sept. 2007
Polk County Sept. 2007
Highlands County Jan. 2008
Polk County Jan. 2008
Highlands County May 2008
Polk County May 2008
Download a
free copy of Adobe Reader to view
PDF files on
our web site.
Non-Profit News (Blog Entry 35):
American Red Cross, Polk County style
How
well do you know the American Red Cross & your local Polk County
Chapter?
Find
out here.
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Be Red
Cross Ready
CLICK
ABOVE to Be Red Cross Ready for any disaster: Tornado, Hurricane,
Earthquake, Tsunami, Wildfire, Flood, or a House Fire.
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Show your support for the American Red Cross everywhere you go.
Visit your Florida
Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles office or your local
Tax Collector's Office to register your vehicle with an official American
Red Cross supporter tag.
 Legacy
Society members
help ensure the future financial stability of this chapter. To find
out how you can become a Legacy Society member,
please call our Gift Planning Officer Ken
Fagan, toll-free, at 866-262-2755.
Send
Direct Local Donations to:
Polk County Chapter
147
Avenue A, NW,
Winter
Haven , FL 33881
(863) 294-5941 |
Highlands
County Service Center
106
Medical Center Avenue
Sebring,
FL 33870
(863) 386-4440 |
Credit
Cards (please call the numbers listed above):
When
calling, please give your name; address; phone number; credit card
type, credit card number, and expiration date; and please specify
whether you want funds to support the Polk County Chapter, the Highlands County
Red Cross, or the National American Red Cross Disaster Fund.
The
Polk County Chapter is one of four
in the Mid-Florida
Region, which also includes:
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If you can't find what you need,
please e-mail us.
Your input is welcome. |
Florida
is known for hurricanes, but wildfires, floods, and tornados
strike far more often. Home fires are the most common disaster. Learn how to
keep your
family safe and secure by making and practicing disaster plans.
Your
Family Disaster Plan
Your
Family Disaster Supplies Kit
Emergency
Preparedness Checklist
Food & Water
During an Emergency
Download a
free copy of Adobe Reader to view
PDF
files on our web site. Is your neighborhood Disaster
Resistant?
Contact American
Red Cross Emergency Services to schedule a free presentation: (863) 294-5941.
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