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Highlands
Red Cross helps family of 6
Mother and five children helped by
Red Cross
SEBRING,
FL (July 1, 2008 ) — American Red Cross volunteers
helped a mother and five children Tuesday after fire destroyed their
home in downtown Sebring.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross in Highlands County received
word of the fire at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The children were going to stay
with their grandmother, so volunteers provided the mother with temporary
shelter and a comfort kit (personal hygiene kit). They also provided
the family with emergency assistance for food and clothing, Publix
cards donated by Florida’s Blood Centers, and landlord verification
forms to assist in relocation.
Volunteers also referred the family to The Salvation Army and to
Samaritan’s Touch Clinic for additional assistance, if needed, as
part of their follow-up casework and partnership with the United
Way of Central Florida.
This has been a busy service year for the American Red Cross in
Highlands County. In the last 12 months, the service center has
helped approximately 36 families affected by local disasters — most
of them single-home and apartment fires — more than double
the number from the previous year.
News-Sun — Downtown
Sebring blaze displaces six
Highlands
Today — Housefire displaces family of six
Red
Cross helps Lakeland family of 4
Red Cross helps 242 families
in 12 months
POLK
COUNTY, FL (June 30, 2008) — On Monday, the American
Red Cross Polk County Chapter assisted a family of four in Lakeland
whose home was damaged by fire earlier that day.
At 11:30 a.m. Monday, June 30, volunteers with the American Red
Cross Polk County Chapter Disaster Action Team arrived at the home
on Gaur Lane in Lakeland. They helped the family -- two adults and
two children -- by providing temporary shelter, comfort kits (personal
hygiene kits), emergency assistance for groceries, odor-control
concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, and teddy
bear stuffed toys to help comfort the children.
With this most recent fire, the local Red Cross has assisted 242
families in the last 12 months: Roughly two families every three
days, or an increase of more than 100 families over the previous
service year. 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.
Red
Cross helps Lakeland family of 5
POLK
COUNTY, FL (June 27, 2008) — Late Thursday night, American Red Cross
volunteers rushed out to help a family of five who had suffered a house fire
earlier that evening.
At 11 p.m. Thursday, June 26, volunteers with the American
Red Cross Polk County Chapter Disaster Action Team received word of a house fire
on North Webster Avenue in Lakeland. Volunteers helped the family
by
providing temporary shelter, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits),
infant supplies, and odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items
from the home.
Committed, compassionate volunteers are the heart and soul of the Red
Cross. Throughout the last 12 months, volunteers throughout the Polk
County Chapter service area (Polk and Highlands Counties) have assisted
241 families affected by local disasters – mostly single-home and apartment
fires — an increase of more than 100 families over the previous
service year.
Polk
Red Cross helps Haines City family after fire
POLK
COUNTY, FL (June 24, 2008) — On Tuesday, American Red Cross
volunteers helped a family in Haines City whose home had caught fire the
previous night.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter’s Disaster
Action Team arrived at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, at the home on Langston
Avenue in Haines City. They provided the two adults there with temporary
shelter and other assistance.
Local Red Cross volunteers will follow up with the family after this
initial assistance to be sure immediate emergency needs are met, and
refer them to other United Way of Central Florida agencies if more
help is needed.
Tuesday’s fire follows a weekend when two families were affected by
fire on Friday, June 20, with another six families affected by fire
in one 24-hour period. (Saturday, June 21).
With less than a week left to go in the service year, Red Cross volunteers
throughout the Polk County Chapter service area (Polk and Highlands
Counties) have assisted 240 families affected by local disasters –
mostly single-home and apartment fires. This is an increase of more
than 100 families over the previous service year.
Polk
Red Cross helps six families in less than 24 hours of fires
POLK
COUNTY, FL (June 22, 2008) — Starting shortly after
12 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, two Red Cross volunteers with the
American Red Cross Polk County Chapter spent 24 hours helping families
after home fires.
It started with four families affected by an early morning apartment
fire in Bartow; another family affected by a house fire that morning
in Wahneta, a community south of Winter Haven, Fla.; and then a
family of ten — eight adults and two children — affected
by a fire late Saturday night/early Sunday morning in Davenport,
Fla.
Early Saturday morning, before 1:30 a.m., an apartment caught fire
at the Sumerlin Oak Apartments on Church Street in Bartow, Fla.
Red Cross volunteers provided temporary shelter to three single
parents with one child each. Another adult chose to stay with family.
Volunteers provided a variety of assistance, according to need,
to all four families.
Later that morning, the same two volunteers received word of a family
displaced by a mobile home fire on East Fifth Street in Wahneta,
Fla. They provided two adults and one child with temporary shelter
and other assistance.
Then, at 12:04 a.m. Sunday, June 22, those same two Red Cross volunteers
arrived at the scene of a fire on East Magnolia Street in Davenport,
Fla., that had displaced eight adults and two children. They provided
the family with temporary shelter and other assistance.
The Red Cross serving Polk and Highlands Counties has now assisted
237 families over the course of the last 12 months. There is still
one week left in the Polk County Chapter's service year.
Highlands
Red Cross helps family of 4
SPRING
LAKE (June 13, 2008) — Local Red Cross volunteers have assisted a
family of four after a fire damaged their home on Friday, June 13.
At roughly 9 a.m. Friday morning, June 13, a kitchen fire quickly caught a
home on fire on Wilson Terrace in the Spring Lake subdivision. Volunteers with
the Highlands County Red Cross received word of the fire at noon and arrived
at the home by 12:45 p.m. to help.
Volunteers also referred the family to The Salvation Army for additional assistance,
if needed, as part of their follow-up casework and partnership with the United
Way of Central Florida.
County
prepares at Hurricane Expo
POLK COUNTY, FL (June 7, 2008) — At
this year's Polk
County Hurricane Expo — Saturday, June 7, at the Orange Dome in
Winter Haven — the American Red Cross could not keep volunteer information
brochures on the table.
Almost everyone who came to visit the Red Cross table inside,
and the two Emergency Response Vehicles parked outside, wanted to know how to
donate
their time to their local Red Cross.
At the Expo, the Red Cross provided information on getting
ready for all kinds of disaster, a demonstration on cardio-pulmonary resuscitation,
information
on the upcoming Babysitting Boot Camp classes and the Inaugural Cypress
Gardens Paradise River Float-A-Thon, and even a misting tent to cool visitors
to the event during the 95-degree midday heat.
Read
more about this year's Hurricane Expo.
News
Chief — Hurricane Expo brings in more than 3,000 people
Polk
Red Cross helps Haines City family of 7 after home fire
HAINES
CITY, FL (June 6, 2008) — On Friday morning, American Red Cross volunteers
helped a family in northeast Polk County after fire had damaged their home
that same morning.
The American Red Cross received a call at 8:20 a.m. Friday, June 6, about a
house fire on Temple Circle in Haines City. Two volunteers with the American
Red Cross Polk County Chapter’s Disaster Action Team arrived at the home to
help seven adults who had been displaced by the fire.
Red Cross volunteers provided the family with temporary shelter, personal hygiene
kits, emergency assistance for groceries, odor-control concentrated cleaner
to help salvage items from the home, and stuffed animal toys to help comfort
them.
Local Red Cross volunteers will follow up with the family after initial assistance
to make sure immediate emergency needs are met, and will refer them to other
United Way of Central Florida agencies if more help is needed.
With only a month left to go in the service year, Red Cross volunteers throughout
the Polk County Chapter service area (Polk and Highlands Counties) have now
assisted 230 families affected by local disasters – mostly single-home and
apartment fires.
Home fires are the most common disaster response for Red Cross volunteers.
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 making a disaster plan for home fires is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.
Red
Cross disaster team helps two families in one night, again
POLK
COUNTY, FL (June 4, 2008) — For the second time in a
month, Polk County Red Cross volunteers have assisted two families
in one night.
Late Tuesday night, at 9:45 p.m., a Red Cross volunteer team
helped a couple on Wallaby Lane in Poinciana, Fla. Shortly after midnight, another
house fire broke out in Frostproof, in the southeastern corner of the county.
So, by 3 a.m. Wednesday, June 4, two more volunteers with the American Red
Cross Polk County Chapter's Disaster Action Team arrived at the home on Old
Fort Meade Road, in the Maxcy Quarters section of Frostproof, Fla., to help
the couple displaced by the fire.
The first couple opted to make their own plans for temporary
shelter, but the second couple accepted temporary shelter from the Red Cross.
Volunteers helped both families with immediate emergency needs, which included
such aid as emergency assistance for food, clothing and/or shoes, personal hygiene
kits, odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home,
or landlord verification forms to assist in relocation.
Local Red Cross volunteers follow up with clients after initial
assistance to make sure immediate emergency needs are met, often referring people
to other United Way of Central Florida agencies, if more help is needed.
Since July 1, 2007, Red Cross volunteers throughout the Polk
County Chapter service area (Polk and Highlands Counties) have assisted 230 families
affected by local disasters – mostly single-home and apartment fires.
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.
Thanks,
Publix Credit Union
Publix
Employees Federal Credit Union holds cook-out, donates proceeds
to Polk Red Cross
 |
Phil Attinger/American Red Cross On Tuesday, June 3, Patti Hayford (left), Vice President of Human Resources for Publix Employees Federal Credit Union, and Robin Baker (right), Human Resources Assistant, present Tom Costello, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter with a donation raised during a hot dog cook-out on Friday, May 30. |
Possible
burn ban postponed
POLK
COUNTY, FL (June 3, 2008) — Polk
County Fire Chief David Cash announced last Friday that if there was no appreciable
rainfall this past weekend, a county-wide burn ban could be issued early
this week.
Mother Nature seems to have answered.
Sunday's rains, and the prospect for more, were enough to at least
forestall implementation of a county burn ban, which had been expected
this week. Heather McClanahan, spokeswoman for Polk County Fire Services,
said the ban has been placed on hold.
Even without a burn ban, the American Red Cross is urging people
to continue caution until the dry season has officially ended. For
information on how to keep your family safe, please read and follow
the American Red Cross' wildfire
safety tips.
The
Ledger — Summer Rains Are On Way to Parched Polk
Red
Cross conducts hurricane drill
Monday,
June 2, 2008 – Your American Red Cross has prepared for
a disaster. Have you?
The American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region, which includes
the Polk County Chapter, is taking part in a week-long hurricane response exercise
that started Thursday, May 29, 2008. For the first time, the American Red Cross
Mid-Florida Region leadership acted as the headquarters for the disaster operations
center, with state, regional and local efforts coordinated through the Orlando
office.
The exercise tests the Central Florida Chapter’s statewide
disaster coordination, focusing on preparedness, but not the damage that would
result from a hurricane. Hurricane season officially started Sunday, June 2.
Floridians have had more than two years since Hurricane Wilma
made landfall in 2005. It is now time to get ready for another season. Use these
opportunities to get ready:
Red
Cross helps Davenport family
DAVENPORT,
FL (June 2, 2008) — On Monday, Red Cross volunteers
helped a family of five whose home in Davenport caught fire
Saturday.
Volunteers arrived at 2:30 p.m. Monday at the home on Sandy
Oak Drive in Davenport, just of the Osceola-Polk Line Road.
The family, two adults and three children, had already arranged
to stay with relatives in the area. Red Cross volunteers provided
them with personal hygiene kits, emergency assistance for
clothing and groceries, landlord verification forms to assist
in relocation, and other assistance.
Local Red Cross volunteers will follow up with the family
after initial assistance to make sure immediate emergency
needs are met, and refer them to other United Way of Central
Florida agencies if more help is needed.
Red
Cross helps Haven family of four
WINTER
HAVEN, FL (May 30, 2008) — A family of four had a kitchen
fire Friday afternoon, but shortly after that, American Red
Cross volunteers arrived to help.
After being called at 5 p.m. Friday, Red Cross volunteers visited
the home on Avenue W, NW, in Winter Haven. The family planned to
either stay in the house or make other lodging arrangements on their
own, but volunteers were able to provide the two adults and two
children emergency assistance for groceries, odor-control concentrated
cleaner to help salvage items from the home, and an American Red
Cross clean-up kit.
Local Red Cross volunteers will follow up with people after initial
assistance to make sure immediate emergency needs are met and refer
them to other United Way of Central Florida agencies if more help
is needed.
This has been a busy service year for the local American Red Cross.
With just one month to go in the service year, Red Cross volunteers
in Polk County alone have assisted more than 180 families affected
by local disasters – mostly single-home and apartment fires. Families
are urged to do everything possible to prevent home fires and to
make practice fire escape plans to ensure all family members escape
a fire safely. Find Red Cross fire prevention tips at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.
See the Polk County Hurricane Expo — June 7, 2008
Your local American Red Cross Polk County Chapter will be on
hand Saturday, June 7, when Polk County holds its annual Hurricane Expo.
The event will focus on hurricanes, but Red Cross volunteers
will gladly answer questions on how to prevent home fires (the most common disaster);
how to deal with natural disasters, such as wildfires, tornadoes, flooding, lightning
storms; and how to aid in medical emergencies.
The Polk County Chapter Health & Safety Department
will be on hand in the Rowdy Gaines Recreation Center to provide a demonstration
of the skills needed to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), First Aid
and other skills that can save a life. In a disaster or emergency, you might
be first and only help someone could receive. The Red Cross can get you trainind
and ready to help.
As always, come see the volunteers who are always ready to
help during big disasters and small single-family ones, and when you want to
learn how to get ready.
To get more information on how to prepare for disasters, call
your American Red Cross Polk County Chapter at (863) 294-5941 (Polk) and (863)
386-4440 (Highlands).
Click
here for American Red Cross severe weather safety tips.
Click
here for American Red Cross wildfire safety tips.
Polk
County warns burn ban possible if drought continues
POLK
COUNTY, FL (May 30, 2008) — Polk
County Fire Chief David Cash announced today that if there is no appreciable
rainfall this weekend, a county-wide burn ban could be issued early
next week.
The burn ban will affect the burning of trash, yard debris, campfires
and bonfires. Residents should use extreme caution this weekend with
any outside burning.
According to the Division of Forestry Keetch-Bryum Drought Index figures,
Polk County looks to move up another level in the index. Polk is currently
at an index average of 547 and will climb to the next level when it
reaches 550. The index figures (ranging from 0 to 800) increase each
day without rainfall and decrease when it rains.
High values of the drought index are an indication that conditions are
favorable for the occurrence and spread of wildfires, but drought is
not by itself a prerequisite for wildfires. Other weather factors, such
as wind, temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric stability, play
a major role in determining the actual fire danger.
The American Red Cross Polk County Chapter urges residents throughout
the county to be aware of fire dangers and to take all precautions to
prevent wildfires, especially near urban and suburban areas.
Click
here for American Red Cross wildfire safety tips.
Highlands
Red Cross helps family of five in Sun 'N' Lake of Sebring
SEBRING, FL (May 30, 2008) — A late night
fire Thursday left a family of five without shelter, but American Red Cross
volunteers soon arrived to help.
At 12:15 a.m. Friday morning, May 30, volunteers with the Highlands County
Red Cross received word of the fire and rushed to the home on Ramiro Street
in the Sun ‘N’ Lake of Sebring Improvement District. The fire displaced
five people: Parents, a grandparent, and children, ages 8 and 3.
Volunteers provided the family with temporary shelter, personal hygiene
kits, emergency assistance for food and clothing, landlord verification
forms to assist in relocation, Publix gift cards (donated by Florida’s
Blood Centers) and stuffed animal toys to comfort the children.
Volunteers also referred the family to The Salvation Army and the Church
Service Center for additional assistance.
This has been a busy service year for the American Red Cross in Highlands
County. With one month left before the year restarts on July 1, Red Cross
volunteers in Highlands County have assisted more than 35 families affected
by local disasters — mostly single-home and apartment fires — more
than double the number from the previous year.
News-Sun — Red
Cross assists family of five after home fire
Highlands
Today — Family Of 5 Displaced By Fire
Polk
Red Cross receives second Emergency Response Vehicle
Increased response, fuel costs strain local chapter
May
29, 2008 — On Thursday, May 29, the American Red Cross Polk County
Chapter received its second Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to help provide
disaster relief to the people of Polk County.
Like the previous one obtained in November 2006, this response vehicle also
comes from the American Red Cross Disaster Response National Fleet. The vehicle
is part of an effort to prepare the Polk County Chapter for the coming hurricane
season, especially since the chapter’s disaster responses have nearly doubled
in the past year. It will also help support major disaster responses across
the country.
Between July 2006 and April 2007, the Polk County Chapter assisted 123 families
affected by local disasters in Polk and Highlands counties. For that same period
in 2007-2008, the chapter assisted 212 families. That number has now exceeded
220.
All of these responses have strained the local chapter because another factor
has doubled in the last year. Gasoline prices have increased the cost to provide
service across the approximate 2,010 square miles of Polk County.
Your local American Red Cross needs more help from you. 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.
News
Chief — Nonprofit groups face challenges in tight economy
Red Cross volunteers greet, serve riders in Brotherhood Ride
 |
| Winter Haven Mayor Nat Birdsong (top left) applauds firefighters riding in the nine-day Brotherhood Ride, which honors the nine firefighters in Charleston, S.C., who died in the line of duty last year, and raises funds for their families. The Winter Haven Elks provided shelter for the night and a spaghetti dinner. Red Cross volunteers provided cold drinks and helped serve dinner. |
Highlands
Red Cross helps Lake Placid family of five after home fire
LAKE PLACID, FL (May 20, 2008) — American
Red Cross volunteers helped a local couple on Tuesday night
after fire damaged their home.
On Tuesday night, two American Red Cross volunteers responded
to Lake Eaglebrook Way in Lakeland, Fla., after a kitchen fire
damaged the home.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter’s
Disaster Action Team provided the couple with temporary shelter,
personal hygiene kits; emergency assistance for groceries, an
American Red Cross clean-up kit, and a Mickey Mouse stuffed
toy to help comfort them.
Local Red Cross volunteers will follow up with people after
initial assistance to make sure immediate emergency needs are
met and refer them to other United Way of Central Florida agencies
if more help is needed.
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.
Country
Music Academy, The Home Depot award Rascal Flatts for humanitarian work
May
19, 2008 — One
of the many places hit by a tornado last week was Picher, Oklahoma,
which also happens to be the hometown of one of our Celebrity Cabinet
Members, Rascal
Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney.
Joe immediately jumped to action by putting on his Red
Cross vest and helping out his neighbors recovering from the
tornado (in addition to donating $50,000).
For this and many other shining examples of the band’s humanitarian
work, the Academy of Country Music and The Home Depot awarded Joe and his bandmates
the Humanitarian Award during Sunday night’s (May 18) Country Music Awards.
RedCrossChat.org — Country
Music Academy, The Home Depot award Rascal Flatts for humanitarian work
Hip-Hop
Elements — Joe Don Rooney hails Red Cross
CMT — Rascal
Flatts video "Every Day," featuring the American Red Cross
RedCross.org — Put on the Red Cross
Disaster Vest, the Job Comes to You
Highlands
Red Cross helps Lake Placid family of five after home fire
LAKE PLACID, FL (May 17, 2008) — When
fire displaced a Lake Placid family of five on Saturday,
American Red Cross volunteers rushed to help.
On Saturday, May 17, five volunteers drove out to the home
on Holmes Avenue. The family had arranged to stay with relatives and didn’t require
full emergency assistance for clothing or groceries. Red Cross volunteers provided
the family with personal hygiene kits, odor-control concentrated cleaner to help
salvage items from the home, and Publix gift cards – donated by Florida’s Blood
Centers.
Volunteers also provided the family with donated teddy bears
to comfort the children and leftover Ride for the Red T-shirts, and referred
the family to The Salvation Army and to the Alpha-Omega Crisis Center in Lake
Placid for additional assistance.
Local Red Cross volunteers will follow up with clients after
initial assistance to make sure immediate emergency needs are met, often referring
people to other United Way of Central Florida agencies if more help is needed.
Polk Red Cross sends volunteers to help wildfire response
 |
| On May 16, 2008, Polk County Chapter volunteers drove to Brevard County to help complete casework for victims of that week's wildfires. From left, they are Ken Shelton, Michele Medani, Shirley Bullock, Program and Services Director Linda Scialo, Daphne Gray, and Public Relations Director Phil Attinger. |
Get ready for hurricanes in Highlands County, come to...
Click here to learn more about the 2008 Highlands County Hurricane Expo.
Red
Cross disaster team helps two families in one night
LAKE
WALES, FL (May 13, 2008) — For the second time in one night, Red
Cross volunteers drove to the same community to assist someone affected by
a house fire.
On Tuesday night, after helping a couple on Pinetree Drive,
American Red Cross volunteers responded to help a Lake Wales man whose home on
Hesperides Road had caught fire earlier that night.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter’s
Disaster Action Team provided him with temporary shelter, a personal hygiene
kit; emergency assistance for groceries, odor-control concentrated cleaner to
help salvage items from the home, landlord verification forms to assist in relocation,
a leftover Ride for the Red T-shirt, and a Mickey Mouse stuffed toy to comfort
him.
Local Red Cross volunteers will follow up with clients after
initial assistance to make sure immediate emergency needs are met, often referring
people to other United Way of Central Florida agencies if more help is needed.
Since July 1, 2007, Red Cross volunteers throughout the Polk
County Chapter service area (Polk and Highlands Counties) have assisted 222 families
affected by local disasters – mostly single-home and apartment fires.
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.
Red
Cross responds to wildfires burning in Central Florida
Red Cross continues to provide wildfire sheltering
ORLANDO, (May 13, 2008) — In response to wildfires raging in Brevard and Volusia Counties since Sunday, the Mid-Florida Regional Chapter of the American Red Cross--comprised of Polk County, Central Florida, Space Coast and Florida’s Coast-to-Coast chapters--are all responding and collaborating on the relief operation as a region.
A shelter opened by the Red Cross in Volusia County is now closed because evacuation orders were cancelled when the fires in Volusia County were contained for the most part, the Space Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross continues to provide shelter, food and water to evacuees in Brevard County.
Officials in Brevard County report that, to date, as many as 100 homes have been damaged or destroyed by wildfires – 71 in Palm Bay alone. On Monday night, the Red cross shelter on Malabar Road in Palm Bay had more than 110 occupants. By Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., that number was up to 207. The shelter that opened in Daytona Beach on Sunday and Monday had 12 occupants before it closed on Monday at 9 p.m.
To meet the most immediate needs of the families being evacuated in Brevard County a second shelter opened at 2 p.m. at the Central Baptist Church, 2503 Country Club Road, in Melbourne. Volunteers at the church will continue working in partnership with the Red Cross to shelter and feed people in need.
The Space Coast Florida's Coast to Coast Chapters are sister chapter to the Polk County Chapter as part of the American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region.
Click here for American Red Cross wildfire safety tips.
Read more....
News Coverage:
Bay News 9 — Brush fires torching Central Florida counties
The Ledger — More Forced to Flee Central Florida Wildfires
American
Red Cross aid arrives in Myanmar
WASHINGTON, Sunday, May 11, 2008 — On Sunday, a commercial airplane carrying the first shipment of American Red Cross relief supplies touched down in Yangon, Myanmar, to assist survivors of cyclone Nargis. This newly arrived shipment includes an initial supply of 8,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets to help prevent the spread of malaria.
“This is a very critical time for survivors, who are exposed to the elements and vulnerable to diseases, like malaria,” said David Meltzer, senior vice president, International Services for the American Red Cross. “Our staff and many others in the humanitarian community are working around the clock to provide assistance as quickly as we can.”
As of Friday, May 9, three plane loads of supplies from a Red Cross and Red Crescent warehouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, had arrived in Myanmar, bringing in more than 14 tons of shelter material and other emergency items. These materials, along with stocks from local warehouses—such as hygiene kits, food, water purification tablets, and mosquito nets—are being distributed by the Myanmar Red Cross, who has at least 27,000 volunteers assisting with relief efforts.
Read more....
More Coverage:
Red Cross — Relief Supplies from American Red Cross arrive in Myanmar
Red Cross — Mounting a Global Response to a Massive Disaster
The Ledger — U.S. Delivers First Supplies to Myanmar
Red Cross helps couple after fire at home-based animal rescue
LAKE WALES
( MAY 11, 2008) — On Sunday, May 11, American Red Cross volunteers responded to a fire that put a Lake Wales couple out of their home.
At 12:25 p.m., Sunday, May 11, volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter’s Disaster Action Team learned that Clinton and Darlynn Martin, living on Rosalie Lake Road had a home fire and needed assistance.
The Martins run Darlynn’s Darlins (www.darlynnsdarlins.org), a non-profit animal rescue, out of their home and property. The couple arrived home to find smoke coming out of the roof. A neighbor had already called fire services, so they set to work getting the animals out.
All were saved, except for one cat and a cockatiel.
American Red Cross volunteers provided the couple with temporary shelter, personal hygiene kits, and other emergency assistance, including a Mickey Mouse stuffed toy to help comfort them.
Darlynn Martin said the Red Cross volunteers were “wonderful, very nice” at helping them with immediate emergency assistance. Their animal rescue will need rebuilding, however, and they are asking anyone in the community who can assist them to come and help.
Read more....
News Coverage:
Bay News 9 — Fire guts Polk animal rescue facility
The Ledger — Fire Rekindles at Pot-Bellied Pig Shelter
Bay News 9 — Red Cross swamped during record-setting fire year
Helen
Aigner receives 2008 Hulda Glass Award
Libby King named first 'Red Cross Angel'
MAY 7, 2008 — Helen Aigner, a dedicated hospital volunteer with the American Red Cross
Polk County Chapter, received the 2008 Hulda Glass Award at the Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition on Wednesday, May 7.
Along with Aigner, volunteer Libby King received a special award — the first ever Red Cross Angel award — for going above and beyond in helping
so many different departments with their various projects and needs throughout the year.
Other volunteers honored Wednesday included Betty Barber as the 2008 Hospital Volunteer of the Year, Daphne Gray as the 2008 Emergency Services Volunteer of the Year, and David McNamara as the 2008 Health and Safety Volunteer of the Year.
Read more....
News Chief — Awards come as Polk chapter faces lean times
News Chief — Helen Aigner, others honored for dedication
Bay News 9 — Red Cross swamped during record-setting fire year
Your
local Red Cross needs your support
American Red Cross Polk County Chapter and Highlands County Service
Center head into hurricane season with deficit from home fires
 |
| American Red Cross volunteers respond to an apartment complex fire in Bartow in July 2007. The fire took out power to the entire building, leaving 29 people – eight families – needing emergency shelter. The fire – one of four multiple-family fires in Polk County last summer – occurred less than five days after another apartment fire in Bartow had displaced 33 people. |
Red Cross helps Lakeland family of 7
LAKELAND ( MAY 1, 2008) — Late Thursday night, fire damaged the home of a family of seven in Lakeland, but American Red Cross volunteers were on scene to provide help.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter’s Disaster Action Team received word that a family was in need at 11:15 p.m. Thursday, May 1. They responded to a home on Old South Drive in Lakeland and found a house that had been damaged and had the power shut off as the result of a fire.
Volunteers provided the two adults and five children with temporary shelter and emergency assistance for groceries. The Polk County Chapter follows up with families, especially after late-night calls, to make sure all of their immediate emergency needs are met. The Chapter also works with United Way of Central Florida partner agencies to refer people for other types of assistance, if needed.
Thanks, Jewett Middle Academy
School
honor society donates to Polk Red Cross
MAY 1, 2008 — Once again, the students, faculty, and staff at Jewett Middle Academy in Winter Haven
have shown their generosity by raising funds to donate to their local American Red Cross.
On Thursday, students with the school's National Junior Honor Society presented a donation to Libby King, past board member and long-time volunteer with the Red Cross.
“Starting out by giving at such an early age is a good thing,” King said. “It ensures that you are building a better future.”
Students at the school have raised funds for the local American Red Cross since the 2005 hurricane season. King said they started before then, gathering toys, diapers, and clothing for young children in shelters when a trio of hurricanes visited the area in 2004.
Read more...
News
Chief — Jewett Academy donates to Red Cross
PolkVoice — Jewett
Middle Academy NJHS donates to local Red Cross
Tornadoes
Trigger American Red Cross Help to Southeast Virginia
WASHINGTON,
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 — As
the full scope of tornado damage becomes evident, American Red Cross feeding
vehicles, supplies and volunteers are heading into the storm stricken areas
of Southeastern Virginia.
Hundreds of homes and businesses sustained major damage. Monday night,
the American Red Cross responded by providing supplies to the shelter
setup by the City of Suffolk. Additional assistance, including mental
health workers and more volunteers, is moving into place to ensure
that local residents have all of the help they need. The American
Red Cross is also partnering with the local public health department
to make sure enough nurses are available to those affected by the
storms.
Disaster assessment crews rolled through neighborhoods on Tuesday
to determine the extent of the damage. The Red Cross shares this information
with local, state and federal officials as well as using it to plan for
the amount of volunteers and supplies needed.
Also, if anyone locally has family affected by the disaster, then
please log onto the Safe and
Well Website – http://disastersafe.redcross.org.
From there, people in the affected area can select messages to let family
members anywhere in the world know of their well-being.
Read
more...
RedCross.org — Tornadoes
Trigger American Red Cross Help to Southeast Virginia
RedCross.org — Tornado
Damage Comes to Light
Thank
Red Cross volunteers
during
National Volunteer Week — April 27-May 3
APRIL
27-MAY 3, 2008 — You’ll
never know when you need a Red Cross volunteer or someone trained
with American Red Cross life-saving skills. That’s why Red Cross
volunteers and instructors train themselves and others all the
time to be ready.
We respond to all types of local disasters. Home fires, whether
single- or multiple-family, are the most common, but we’ve also
responded to wildfires, tornadoes, floods, a storm-fallen tree
demolishing a house, or a weather-related fatal pileup on Interstate
4. Our volunteers also teach life-saving skills and serve members
of the military and their families, just as the Red Cross has
since its beginning.
So when you meet our volunteers wearing their Red Cross colors
this week, let them know how much you appreciate them. Without volunteers, we
can’t do what we do. When you need relief or training, we will be there.
Celebrate
National Volunteer Month by thanking Red Cross volunteers.
Did
you know...about the American Red Cross and the Polk County Chapter?
Red
Cross warns of e-mail scam
WASHINGTON,
Monday, April 21, 2008 — The
American Red Cross’ Office of Investigations, Compliance and Ethics
has been alerted to communications circulating via email claiming that
the Red Cross, in collaboration with the Romania Government, is asking
for donations to help the people in Tecuci, Romania.
The email asks to make a wire transfer of over $100 to a bank
account in Romania; or for donations under $100 to use a Pay Pal account addressed
as redcross@representative.com.
The American Red Cross does not advertise for donations to
be sent to a Romanian Bank account. This is an email scam using
the American Red Cross brand, and the Internet Crime Complaint Center of the
FBI has been notified.
If you received this email, treat it with caution. To avoid
becoming a victim of fraud, do not forward any personal information in response
to unsolicited and suspicious emails.
If you would like to make a donation to the Red Cross, only
use the authorized Red Cross Website, www.redcross.org or www.icrc.org,
or contact your local chapter through the Mid-Florida Region at www.midfloridaredcross.org.
Read online at http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_7639,00.html.
Prepare
a portable disaster kit in 12 steps
On
Friday,
April 18, 2008, news media reported that Florida has discontinued
the tax-free holiday for hurricane supplies. With or without tax incentives,
it's crucial to set up a disaster supplies kit before storms approach. Spread
out your purchases of disaster preparedness supplies over several weeks to ensure
you get everything
you need, without breaking the bank.
Orlando
Sentinel — Florida scraps hurricane-season sales-tax holiday
The Ledger — Budget woes kill hurricane sales-tax holiday
Bay News 9 — Legislators to skip hurricane tax holiday
Orlando
Sentinel — U.S. storm experts prepare for the worst
Central
Florida Red Cross responds to two fires in two days
Nine families displaced by home, apartment fires
ORLANDO,
FL (Thursday, April 17, 2008) — The
night of Wednesday, April 17, the American Red Cross of Central
Florida responded to a house fire in Sanford that displaced
a family of nine. Volunteers provided the family with shelter
for three nights as well as money for food.
Then, on Thursday night, April 18, the American Red Cross
learned of an apartment fire at the Winward Apartments on Curry Ford Road in
Orlando.
The Red Cross was contacted around 6:30 p.m. Numerous Disaster
Action Team (DAT) volunteers arrived on the scene to assist eight families who
were displaced by the fire. Residents received financial assistance to replace
lost clothing, food, lodging, and other immediate needs.
The American Red Cross of Central Florida will continue to
work with families from both fires to determine additional needs. All chapters
of the American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region assist families nearly every day
after home fires with food, lodging, clothing, and other immediate needs.
The American Red Cross of Central Florida is a sister
chapter to the Polk County Chapter in the American Red Cross Mid-Florida
Region.
Red
Cross helps Eloise family of 10
ELOISE,
FL (Thursday, April 17, 2008) — Early
Thursday morning (April 17, 2008), American Red Cross volunteers
rolled out to help a family of 10 — five adults and five
children, including two infants — after fire damaged
their home in Eloise.
The Polk County Chapter got the call at 2:45 a.m. Two volunteers
with the chapter’s Disaster Action Team responded to the home
on First Street in Eloise and provided the family with temporary
shelter, emergency assistance for food and clothing, comfort
kits (personal hygiene kits), landlord verification forms
for relocation, surplus Ride for the Red T-shirts, blankets,
and teddy bear stuffed toys to comfort the children.
Later that morning, at the Chapter’s main office, Red Cross
staff provided the family with book packs and some school
supplies for the family’s two school-age children.
Read
more...
The
Ledger — Breaking News: Eloise Fire Leaves 10 Homeless
The
Ledger — Fire Destroys Home of 10
Bay
News 9 — Family of 10 Homeless after Fire
PolkVoice — Red
Cross helps family of 10 in Eloise after fire
Red
Cross Disaster Services featured in Rascal Flatts’ ‘Every Day’ video
WASHINGTON,
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 — In
a historical first for the organization, American Red Cross disaster
relief services is prominently featured in a new Rascal Flatts music
video, 'Every Day' as one of several vignettes portraying everyday heroes
responding to emergency situations.
The video will debut on CMT, GAC, Yahoo Online, AOL, MSN and Clearchannel.com
starting this week. In an instance of art imitating life this video comes
at a time when Red Cross disaster relief workers are responding to severe
weather emergencies in communities across the nation.
"
It gives us great pleasure to be able to work with a wonderful organization
like the American Red Cross because of the humanitarian service it provides
to this country-and around the world." said Gary LeVox, lead singer of
the band.
The video depicts Red Cross disaster relief workers providing comfort
and emergency assistance to neighbors in the aftermath of a disaster.
This spring the American Red Cross has provided compassionate care to
thousands of people affected by disasters such as the February tornadoes
that devastated several southern states and flooding throughout the Midwest.
Read
more...
Polk
Red Cross helps family of five
WINTER
HAVEN, FL (Monday, April 14, 2008) — On
Monday, April 14, American Red Cross volunteers assisted
a Winter Haven family of five whose house was damaged by
fire.
Volunteers arrived at the home on Diamond Road at 1:30 p.m.
Monday and provided the family of four adults and one child with temporary shelter,
comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), and two teddy bear stuffed toys to comfort
them.
The local American Red Cross works with local fire departments
to be notified when people affected by fire need immediate emergency assistance.
The Red Cross also works with United Way of Central Florida partner agencies
to refer people for further assistance, if needed.
Home fires remain the most common, deadly, and preventable
disasters seen by Red Cross responders. In Polk and Highlands counties, the local
American Red Cross has assisted more than 200 families affected by local disasters
since July 2007. Most of them were home fires. In March, in Polk County alone,
the Red Cross assisted 70 people, all of them affected by single-family fires.
Red Cross volunteers urge all families to take precautions
to prevent home fires and to make and practice escape plans to ensure all loved
ones escape fire safely.
News
Chief — Family Displaced After Fire
PolkVoice — Polk
Red Cross helps Winter Haven family after house fire
Highlands
Red Cross rocks with Red & White Ball
Tuesday,
April 8, 2008 — For
the sixth year in a row, the American Red Cross rocked the night
on Saturday night, April 5, with the annual Red & White Ball.
More than 200 people reserved seats for this year’s event, held in
Founder’s Hall of Highlands Ridge South, which donated the facility.
Simply Trish catered dinner while GrooVus fired up the dance floor
with rock ‘n’ roll classics. In the warm, clear night, patrons could
wander under the skies or visit the adjoining building to place a bid
in the silent auction.
The Red & White Ball made its fundraising goal, which will go a long
way to keeping the local Red Cross ready to respond to disasters, and
to helping programs to train and prepare the community.
For information on how to help the Red Cross in Highlands County,
contact the Highlands Red Cross at 106 Medical Center Ave. in Sebring, (863)
386-4440, or
at hcarc@vistanet.net.
Read about this year's Red & White Ball here....
Business
Leader, Nonprofit Volunteer to head the American Red Cross
WASHINGTON,
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 — Gail
J. McGovern, a successful business executive and proven nonprofit
fundraiser, was today named President and CEO of the American
Red Cross. McGovern, who held top management positions at AT&T
Corporation and Fidelity Investments, has experience running
large organizations in competitive industries, and a track record
for improving business performance and service delivery to the
public. Currently, she teaches marketing at the Harvard Business
School.
“It is an honor to be asked to lead the American Red Cross, the helping
hand to so many people in times of disaster and crisis,” said McGovern.
“I am humbled and inspired by this incredible humanitarian network
of thousands of volunteers, workers, and supporters serving their
neighbors in communities across our Nation and world. I look forward
to joining them and am committed to the long-term growth and success
of the Red Cross and its life-saving mission.”
Red
Cross — Gail McGovern named head of American Red Cross
Gail
McGovern — Video Introduction
FL
Coast to Coast Chapter responds to storm damage in Deland
DAYTONA
BEACH, FL (Friday, April 4, 2008) — The
Florida’s Coast to Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross
is helping families in DeLand that were affected in a thunderstorm
Thursday night.
Volunteers with the Chapter’s Disaster Action Team responded
to a call to help the families in the Evergreen and Raintree Circle areas. Volunteers
were able to provide the families with temporary shelter, emergency assistance
for food, and personal hygiene kits.
As with all types of disasters, the Red Cross is working to
help the victims affected by the fire on a case-by-case basis. The chapter also
works with United Way partner agencies to refer people for any further assistance
they may need.
American Red Cross volunteers stand ready to assist those affected
by disaster, any time of day and any day of the year.
The Florida's Coast to Coast Chapter is a sister chapter
to the Polk County Chapter as part of the American Red Cross Mid-Florida
Region.
Highlands Red Cross helps nine after multiple-family fire
AVON PARK, FL (Friday, April 2, 2008) — American Red Cross volunteers have helped a family of three and six other adults who were displaced when their house burned last week.
On Thursday, March 27, a fire burned a boarding house on Joe Hilton Street in Avon Park. It displaced a family of three – including a 6-year-old child -- living downstairs, and six other men living upstairs. On Tuesday, April 1, the local Red Cross office received word that residents were in need. Volunteers drove out to the site to meet with the family and the six men, bringing along an interpreter for clients who speak Spanish.
The landlord has arranged for tenants to move into an adjacent building. Meanwhile, Red Cross volunteers have provided the family of three with emergency assistance for food and clothing, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), and donated Publix cards. To each of the six men, they also provided emergency assistance for food and clothing, a comfort kit, and a donated Publix card.
…Red Cross volunteers have also referred the clients to The Salvation Army and to the Church Service Center for any further assistance.
Highlands Today — Nine People Displaced In Avon Park Fire
Be
prepared on Spring Break
Take
Your Sunblock—and an Emergency Plan
Taking a few precautions and following safety tips can help you avoid being
caught unaware in unfamiliar surroundings.
Saturday,
March 15, 2008 — This
month, thousands of people will travel to destinations near and far to enjoy
Spring Break. Some will be seeking rest and relaxation; others will hope to
find just the opposite.
Regardless of your definition of a good time, you can help ensure a safe trip
by taking a few steps to become Red Cross Ready and be prepared for disasters
and other emergencies. Leaving for vacation without taking the following actions
would be like neglecting to pack a suitcase. Before you go, prepare to deal
with the unexpected in unfamiliar surroundings by using the safety tips link
below.
Taking action to get more prepared can be as easy as booking your airline ticket.
Unlike frequent flyer miles, your reward is a safer spring break.
For additional water safety tips and information on personal emergency preparedness
packs and first aid kits, visit RedCross.org.
Read
Red Cross Spring Break Safety Tips.
Polk
Red Cross provides information on disaster preparedness March 22
Click
here for locations!
Read the notice in PolkVoice.
Your local American Red Cross Polk County Chapter will be in
the community from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 22, to hand out disaster preparation
information. Keep a look out for the volunteers who are always ready to help
during big disasters and small single-family ones, and during sunny days when
you want to learn how to be ready.
To get more information on how to prepare for thunder storms,
tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and house fires, call your American
Red Cross Polk County Chapter at (863) 294-5941 (Polk) and (863) 386-4440 (Highlands).
Click
here for
American Red Cross severe weather safety tips.
Click
here for
American Red Cross wildfire safety tips.
See
the original notice in the News
Chief and PolkVoice.
Polk
volunteer speaks at Red Cross telethon
Tuesday,
March 18, 2008 — When the Tampa Bay Chapter did a telethon
on Tuesday, March 18, at Tampa Bay's 10 News, they invited the Polk
County Chapter — part of the same viewing area — to come
and talk about how the Red Cross helps people locally.
Local volunteer Eric
Carroll told Tampa Bay's 10 how the local Red Cross helped him when
Hurricane Frances took his home in 2004.
In addition to that, volunteer staff and supporters the Tampa
Bay Chapter told how the Red Cross, no matter where the local chapter is, responds
to local disasters and holds classes to train people in life-saving skills.
Wherever you live, your local Red Cross is there for you.
Help support your Red Cross. Call or visit:
• Polk County — 147 Avenue
A, NW, Winter Haven - (863) 294-5941.
• Highlands County – 106 Medical Center
Ave., Sebring - (863) 386-4440
See interviews with Tampa Red Cross volunteers, supporters, and clients:
• Jose
Bueno, Health & Safety Services, talks about life-saving training.
• Ian
Campbell talks about helping people displaced by fire.
• Captain
Larry Thompson, Lealman Fire District (Pinellas), praises Red Cross.
• Pasco
family thankful for the Red Cross.
Tornado
hits downtown Atlanta
Saturday,
March 15, 2008 — News media have reported that severe
storm, possibly a tornado, tore through downtown Atlanta Friday night,
March 14.
Tornado season is still upon us. Make sure you have checked and
re-checked your disaster supplies kit and that you have practiced
your plan to shelter during severe weather. Stay tuned to local
weather reports for warnings about severe weather in your area.
As as always, keep in touch with your local American Red Cross for
information on preparing for weather-borne disasters.
American
Red Cross Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter — Latest News
Red
Cross Busy as More Storms Hit Georgia
Georgia
Red Cross responds to tornados - March 2008
Bay
News 9 — Storm batters Atlanta
Disaster
News Network Tornado trashes downtown Atlanta
Associated
Press — Atlanta Braces for Another Severe Storm
Men's
News Daily — Tornado hits downtown Atlanta
The
New York Times — Powerful Tornado Damages Downtown Atlanta
WXIA
11Alive ay night storm was tornado, Next round hits Saturday
Red
Cross responds to fatal fire in Lakeland
Tuesday,
March 5, 2008 — American Red Cross Polk County Chapter
volunteers responded Wednesday to help survivors of a fire that took
one life, displaced five people, and damaged two apartments in Lakeland.
Two men living in an upstairs apartment had survived the fire.
One had lost nearly everything. Based on their needs, the
Red Cross provided them with assistance, including temporary
shelter, emergency assistance for groceries and clothingand
other aid.
The downstairs apartment was also affected. Volunteers provided
the family – two adults and one child – with temporary shelter, emergency
assistance for groceries, and other aid.
The fire marked the fourth home fire in five days in Polk
County during an eight-month response period that has now seen 153
families displaced by fire. Recent fires included one Winter Haven
resident whose home losss has sparked a flood of generous support from
the community.
Home fires are one of the most common, deadly, and preventable
disasters. Red Cross volunteers urge all families to take precautions
to prevent home fires and to practice escape plans to ensure all loved
ones get out of a fire safely.
To learn more about fire safety, please call your local Polk
County Red Cross at (863) 294-5941. In Highlands County, call (863)
386-4440.
The
Ledger (March 6, 2008) — Woman Dies in Lakeland Fire
The
Ledger (March 7, 2008) — Woman lost home, but not generous
friends
News
Chief — Orrin Avenue blaze destroys home of woman and
her cancer-stricken daughter
MyFox
Tampa Bay 13 — Mother and daughter burned out
Highlands
County
Be there for the WIN 5K Run and 2008 Red & White Ball
Strap
on your running shoes: The WIN 5K Run is back.
For the second spring in a row, on Saturday, March 29, the
Highlands Red Cross will hold a run out at Highlands Hammock State Park to give
people a chance to kick-start their own exercise program, but also to help raise
awareness of health issues and raise funds for the local American Red Cross.
To register, print off the registration
form, download a pdf
registration form, call the Highlands County Red cross at (863) 386-4440,
or e-mail hcarc@vistanet.net.
Then,
the next weekend, It’s time again to kick up your heels and come dancing
at the Thakkar Foundation, Drs. Vinod and Tarlika Thakkar, American Red
Cross Highlands County Sixth Annual Red & White
Ball.
It’s at 6 p.m. on April 5, in Founders Hall at Highlands Ridge
South. GrooVus, local Jazz band, has been with the Red & White Ball since
its second year and will play the dance again. Catering will be by Simply Trish
in Sebring.
As always, there’s a silent auction with luxury items, gift
packages and memorabilia. Bring your fun side and you might go home with something
special.
Tickets are available at several area locations: $75 per person
or $145 per couple. Sponsorships are still available.
For reservation, ticket, or sponsor information, contact the
Highlands Red Cross at 106 Medical Center Ave. in Sebring, (863) 386-4440, or
at hcarc@vistanet.net.
See the Flyer here....
Polk
Red Cross hits mother lode at 'Gold Rush Bash' 
Once
again, the local American Red Cross Polk County Chapter hit "play
dirt" with the annual Gold Rush Bash.
This year marked the second year for the Bash's Western theme,
and another good year for the local Red Cross, raising roughly $50,000 for local
disaster relief, disaster preparation, and emergency response education programs.
Donations of time, skils and money to American Red Cross local
chapters helps ensure that wherever a disaster strikes, whenever it strikes,
trained volunteers and a prepared populace will be there to pull through and
rebuild a stronger, more resilient community.
The American Red Cross thanks its volunteers and supporters
for helping make the 2008 Red Cross Gold Rush Bash a success. Read
more...
News
Chief — Red Cross strikes gold in annual bash
-
Highlands
Red Cross senior volunteers honored
Ann Reinwand receives Ruth
Allen Memorial Award for spirit of volunteerism
SEBRING –
Most people in Highlands County know out outstanding local volunteers.
Recently a few got recognized for being above and beyond that.
On Friday, Feb. 29, American Red Cross volunteers were among the
dozens honored by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
at a recognition luncheon. In all, seven local Red Cross volunteers
received recognition for their work.
One of them, Ann Reinwand, received the Ruth Allen Memorial Award, a local
award to honor people who best exemplify the spirit of volunteerism. She
volunteers as the office manager for the local Highlands Red Cross office
on Medical Center Avenue in Sebring.
Kris Schmidt, coordinator of RSVP, said the program works to get a volunteer
perfectly matched with an organization. In Reinwand's case, the match was
instant. She just walked in and picked the Red Cross, and has been happy
ever since she did.
Read
more...
Local
Red Cross celebrates 'March is Red Cross Month'
Friday,
Feb. 29, 2008 — The American Red Cross Polk County Chapter
is celebrating Red Cross Month this March by giving thanks to thousands
of people in Polk and Highlands Counties who personify America’s humanitarian
spirit by donating their time, money and skills over the last year.
In the past eight months, the Polk County Chapter and Highlands
County Service Center have responded to more than 170 local emergencies in the
two counties, have assisted nearly 400 military families, and trained more than
5,200 people in lifesaving skills such as CPR, first aid, use of an automated
external defibrillator, and aquatic safety.
Red Cross volunteers are the core of the Red Cross, donating
their time and energy to selflessly serve those in need; demonstrating the compassion
and generosity for which Americans are known.
The Red Cross needs continued support in the coming year. Disasters
can strike at any time. This month and throughout the year, the Red Cross is
asking people to give generously to their local Red Cross. Call or visit:
• Polk County — 147 Avenue
A, NW, Winter Haven - (863) 294-5941.
• Highlands County – 106 Medical Center
Ave., Sebring - (863) 386-4440
Read the notice in the News
Chief and PolkVoice.
Davenport
Deploys
Local volunteer helps in tornado-hit Alabama
Feb.
25, 2008 – Don Davenport of Avon Park returned on Monday,
Feb. 25, after six days helping people affected by tornados
in South Central Alabama.
Shortly after tornadoes hit the areas of Selma, Ala., and Prattville,
Ala., on Sunday, Feb. 17, Davenport deployed to help families who had lost their
homes to the storm. Fortunately, he said, no one was killed or seriously hurt,
despite many near escapes.
Red Cross volunteers, like Davenport, are ready to help at
a moment’s notice, either to deploy to out-of-state disasters or to assist victims
of local disasters such as small storms and home fires.
Read
more...
News-Sun — Avon
Park Red Cross volunteer helps Alabama tornado victims
Red
Cross responds to warehouse and wildfires
Tuesday,
Feb. 12, 2008 — Monday, Feb. 11, kept the local
Red Cross very busy supporting fire crews at wildfires and a
large warehouse fire.
At 2 p.m., volunteers with the Polk County Chapter were called
to help support a wildfire burning just northeast of Lake Wales. At 4
p.m., volunteers with the Highlands County Service Center were called
to feed fire crews battling a 100-acre blaze north of Lake Placid. Volunteers
also stood by to run a shelter, if needed.
Just then, a fire broke out in the Packaging Corporation of
America warehouse west of Winter Haven on Recker Highway. Polk County volunteers
loaded the Emergency Response Vehicle and arrived on scene. They provided hot
food, snacks and drinks throughout the night while fire fighters fought to cool
the blaze.
By 6 p.m., Highlands County Red Cross volunteers had responded to run a shelter
south of Sebring for voluntary evacuees. By 10 p.m., however, Highlands County
volunteers had completed the feeding operation. No residents had taken advantage
of the shelter, so the county closed it.
Polk County volunteers finished feeding operations at the warehouse fire
at midnight, but returned Tuesday morning to provide breakfast for crews
still fighting the smoldering fire in the warehouse.
The American Red Cross thanks its volunteers and supporters for helping make
fast and efficient disaster responses possible. To help your local American
Red Cross, call (863) 294-5941 or (863) 386-4440.
Read the full
story.
Click
here for American Red Cross wildfire safety tips.
News-Sun — Breaking
News: Large brush fire south of Sebring
WFLA News
Channel 8 — Highlands Brush Fire
WFLA News
Channel 8 — Highlands Brush Fires - UPDATE
News
Chief — Fire lights the night sky
Bay
News 9 — Winter Haven warehouse destroyed by blaze
The
Ledger — Auburndale box manufacturing plant still burning
WFLA News
Channel 8 — Packaging Corporation of America warehouse fire (Feb. 11,
2008)
ABC
Action News - Winter Haven warehouse still smoldering
ABC
Action News — Firefighters monitoring hotspots in warehouse fire
Tampa
Bays 10 — Winter Haven Warehouse STILL smoldering
WFLA News
Channel 8 — Winter Haven fire investigation (Feb. 12, 2008 - a.m.)
WFLA News
Channel 8 — Polk County fire follow-up (Feb. 12, 2008 - p.m.)
The
Ledger — Burned building unsafe for investigators the day after
News
Chief — Warehouse fire 95 percent contained
Hitch up the wagons for the American Red Cross Gold Rush
Come
on out to the Red Cross "Gold Rush Bash," at 6: 30 p.m.
Saturday, March 1, 2008, at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, FL.
Dress up like your favorite prospector, pioneer, mountain
man, cowpoke, gambler, saloon hostess or Native American. Texas Cattle Company
will serve dinner. Brassworks will play the dance. Meanwhile, you can stake a
claim on being the best community support for disaster relief and preparation
this side of the Pecos.
Click
here for more information.
Read it in the News
Chief, and Polk
Voice.
Red
Cross delivers help after Southern storms
Wednesday,
Feb. 6, 2008 — A line of thunderstorms and tornadoes
swept across the midsection of the United States late Tuesday, Feb.
5, killing more than 50 people, injuring scores of others, and destroying
dozens of homes and buildings in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi,
and Kentucky.
Red Cross chapters responded immediately during the night, opening shelters
and providing comfort to those forced from their homes. More than 350 people
stayed in shelters the first night.
When Wednesday morning brought the scope of damage to light, the Red Cross
moved volunteers, equipment, and supplies from around the Southeast to help
with the relief effort to come, while keeping a close eye on the weather
as more storms and flooding threaten other parts of the nation.
In the coming days, the Red Cross will offer additional goods and services,
such as distribution of clean-up kits and other needed supplies. Also, Red
Cross case workers will engage individuals and families to provide additional
assistance based on the damage sustained to their homes.
The American Red Cross Polk County Chapter and Highlands County Service Center
remain on standby. No volunteers have been called from this area yet. However,
volunteers are being identified who can deploy when requested. Read the latest
at www.redcross.org/news.
English — Massive
Red Cross tornado relief effort spans five states
Español — La
respuesta de la Cruz Roja a los tornados del martes abarca cinco estados
Red
Cross — Tornado-scarred states receive Red Cross Health Services