We have had some great local partners helping us out with this disaster. Today I went to the mobile kitchen that cooks all of the food we distribute. It is set up in a local church’s parking lot. We have an awesome partnership with the southern baptist churches and their disaster relief folks. They have been fabulous.

We ship all of the food in and they cook it up and get it ready to take out to serve the masses. They make around 3,000 meals a day. We have served 33,780 meals so far!

Yesterday was lasagna. Today was salisbury steaks or bbq sandwiches. They put all of the food in large red containers that keep them hot and then pack them onto our emergency response vehicles (ervs).

It was neat to see them all line up and get filled.

Volunteer Dan Chandler, the manager of the site, is an efficiency expert and has these puppies loaded in under a minute each!

Then our drivers head out into neighborhoods, the shelters, etc to feed people. The great thing about the red cross is that all of our disaster services are free and available to anyone.

It doesnt matter where you are from or who you are. We serve everyone.

Follow more updates on this and other disasters in the Red Cross Online Newsroom.

And let me tell you, disasters make you hungry.

Chronology of Events

Sept. 26:  Typhoon Ketsana hits the Philippines

Sept. 29: Typhoon Ketsana hits Vietnam

Sept. 29:  Tsunami hits American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga

Sept. 30: Earthquake hits Indonesia

Oct. 1: A 2nd Earthquake hits Indonesia

As of Wednesday morning EDT, officials in Samoa estimate that 60 villages and 15,000 people have been affected by this disaster. Tremors continue to shake the country, and tsunami alarms are still sounding.

The American Red Cross is already responding on American Samoa with our local volunteers. More staff are on the way.
If you have been in contact with loved ones on American Samoa, the best way to share information about their well-being is to register them with Safe and Well.

Stay tuned to the Disaster Online Newsroom for information about the Red Cross response to all of these events. Follow us on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook.

Day 1
Krystal stands on her dining room chair and watches the water rise around her home.
She holds her 3-year-old’s hand with one hand and clutches her 1-month-old baby to her chest with the other.
“Lady, if you don’t get in the boat now, we’re going to have to leave you to pick up someone else,” says a firefighter perched on a rescue boat.
So Krystal steps off the chair and into the boat. Her husband, Dwayne, wades inside their home to salvage possessions by placing them upstairs.
“We are allowed to take one personal item with us on the boat,” Dwayne says. “The most valuable things in my life are the people I just loaded onto that boat.”

Day 5
American Red Cross vehicles and volunteers have been populating these pockets of Georgia, where a steady rain surged local creeks and rivers.
The water is gone, and so is most of the media that told the world to stop what they were doing and please help these flood victims.
Dwayne and Krystal receive bottled water, food and some clean-up supplies from the Red Cross. Their neighbors go to work tossing refrigerators, big-screen TVs and couches onto their front lawns.
But Dwayne and Krystal aren’t thinking about their home, which will need to be gutted. They are preoccupied with their youngest child, who has been failing hearing exams, and their 3-year-old, who was just diagnosed with asthma.

Day 9
Dwayne and Krystal have been sleeping every night since the floods in a hotel room with their children, their dog, and Krystal’s parents.
They make a trip back to their home to meet with Red Cross volunteers.
Their house, from the outside, looks almost as it always has, save a water line neatly marking the highest point Sweetwater Creek hit.
Dwayne says the creek crested at 30 feet – exactly 10 times its normal depth.
Inside their home, soggy couches are flipped on top of family pictures. Ceilings are collapsing onto tables finely lined with the creek’s soot. A high-chair, which has never been used, still stands in the garage, where you can already see mold growing.
“This is our reality,” Dwayne says.

Day XX
Dwayne and Krystal have lost everything – their home, their cars, most of their belongings.
But the couple remains astoundingly upbeat. They know that moving forward – on Day 10, Day 45, Day XX – they have their faith, their family and each other.
The media has moved on to new hot topics, which will run their course as well.
And as the media moves on, so do people elsewhere, and the floods in the Southeast become a distant memory.

But for the Mitchells, it is reality. And for the Red Cross, it is a priority. 

To date, the American Red Cross has:

• Provided 2,011 overnight stays from nearly 500 residents in Georgia Red Cross shelters
  
• Served 22,165 meals and 19,479 snacks
  
• Had 740 Red Cross volunteers and staff working in affected areas to support the disaster-caused needs of clients
  
• Assessed that 2,826 homes in Georgia have been affected; 757 of which are destroyed, 760 with major damage, 689 with minor damage.
  
• Provided 44,453 bulk items including bleach, comfort kits, clean-up kits and bottled water.

  Greater Carolinas Chapter employee Kate Meier is in Georgia assisting in the Red Cross response. She captured the videos below while working in Austell, Ga. The women are Martha Mask, whose house suffered substantial damage as a result of the flooding, and her sister-in-law Beatrice Bowles.

  For more updates, visit the Red Cross Disaster Online Newsroom.

  ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.547 2009-09-28T16:48:35Z 2010-06-30T18:30:35Z MeierK test@test3.com Don and Ruth Krohn are not your typical tech users. Both in their late sixties, technology really isn’t their thing. Today they are out and hitting the streets in Austell, Ga., with handheld computer devices, known as Rapid Data Management Systems (RDMS), to gather damage assessments for the American Red Cross.

  In the 11 years the Krohns have been volunteering with the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the Red Cross they have been deployed to almost 30 disasters. Their roles vary from disaster to disaster, but this is the first time they have used ‘these high-tech gadgets’ to assist clients.

  “At the end of the day is when you can see the results,” says Ruth. “You don’t see all the paperwork. You are done now when you come back in at the end of the day and you don’t have to do any other follow up after the data is sent.”

  “It’s a very worth while thing,” adds Don with a chuckle saying how he only wishes that the screen was bigger.

  ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.546 2009-09-28T11:56:02Z 2010-06-30T18:31:02Z MeierK test@test3.com While we’re still responding to the intense flooding in the southeast United States, a monsoon has affected the Philippines.

  As always, please stay tuned to the Disaster Online Newsroom for info about both flooding incidents and please follow us on Twitter @RedCross.

  NOTE: We are still waiting to hear if our sister society needs our help, but if you want to help build the fund we use to respond to international emergencies, consider our International Response Fund. You can find ways to donate directly to the Philippines Red Cross on their website, and you can find additional information at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

  Latest info we have from the Philippines Red Cross:

  While Typhoon Ondoy is now in the South China Sea, it enhanced the southwest monsoon. Some areas in Metro Manila are still flooded and an undetermined number of residents are still trapped in the flooding.

  The Philippine National Red Cross still conducts water search and rescue operations (WASAR) in Cainta, Rizal; Pasig and Marikina.

  A total of 9 teams are still working round the clock to penetrate heavily flooded areas as of this reporting.

  Rapid assessment is currently being conducted by the affected Chapters.
  

  
  
  • 2,500 people have been assisted by the Red Cross
    
  • 75 people were killed, 40 are still missing
    
  • 96,138 people are affected
    
  • 160 RC staff and 280 RC volunteers are on the ground helping
    
    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.544 2009-09-26T20:26:59Z 2010-06-30T18:31:59Z MeierK test@test3.com This is Danelle Schlegelmilch, from the Heartland Chapter in Omaha, reporting from the Atlanta floods disaster relief operation. Hello from my first day on my first deployment with the Red Cross (and my first Emergency Response Vehicle ride)!
    
    I’m on board ERV 1189 with Mike and Butch from the North Treasure Coast Chapter in Florida. Before we left today to do mobile feeding, we loaded up with 200heater meals and 20 cases of water to give to residents affected by the recent flooding in the Southeast.
    
    Our first stop was the countryside village of Atlanta in Lawrenceville, GA. This mostly Spanish-speaking neighborhood has an estimated 109 affected families. We were able to distribute heater meals and water to families there.
    
    It was hard to see so many people who have lost everything that they own, but it is amazing that we are able to help them rebuild their lives. I am definitely proud to have this Red Cross on my chest today.
    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.543 2009-09-24T23:07:50Z 2010-06-30T18:32:50Z MeierK test@test3.com Last month, while communicating with Kate Meier, Communications and Marketing Manager for the Carolinas Red Cross chapter, I glanced down and saw the tagline at the bottom of her email. It said: “Change a Life.”, “Ask me how you can change a life today.” I felt a catch in my throat. The Red Cross had changed MY life. I would not be here today without them.

    On Jan. 15, 2009, when US Airways flight 1549 hit the Hudson River in New York, it hit hard. I was one of the last people off the plane and spent seven minutes in the frigid water before I was lifted aboard a nearby ferry boat. Sitting on that boat, freezing and with no feeling in my hands or feet, I suddenly felt a touch of warmth. My shoulders had been cloaked in a Red Cross blanket. Thankfully, the New York and New Jersey Red Cross chapter volunteers were among the first to arrive on the scene of the crash and someone made sure that I had gotten one. 

    I treasured that blanket as if it were a fine gem, like a rare ruby with healing powers. It still reminds me of the care and compassion I was shown from those angels that day. Minutes later, I was rushed to the hospital and my wet clothes, now frozen to my body, had to be removed. Shortly after, a pair of sweat pants appeared as if out of nowhere.

    Again, a responder with the Red Cross made sure I had something dry to wear. I felt relief; I was beginning to feel somewhat human again. I will never forget those simple acts of kindness and will be forever grateful. The moment I got to dry land, the Red Cross folks from the Northern New Jersey and New York Red Cross chapters were there. When I arrived home, the Red Cross in Charlotte met me off the plane and comforted my family. They also checked in with me later that night to make sure I was OK.

    Today, I hold a very special place in my heart for the Red Cross. What they do is so very important and I believe in it strongly.  Through the “Miracle on the Hudson” experience, a new door in my life has opened; a mission if you will, to share gratitude, hope and faith. I have been able to share my story with so many people through speaking publically, in a variety of settings such as churches, senior groups, business meetings and conferences, fundraisers and most notably Red Cross functions.

    I was truly honored to speak at the Tiffany Circle 2009 Women’s Leadership Summit this past June in Washington, D.C. In July, a fellow passenger, Barry Leonard, and I hosted a THANK YOU luncheon for the first responders on-site at Palisades Medical. Immediately following that event, I was honored to speak at a wonderful reception given by the North Bergen, New Jersey, Red Cross chapter.  Next, I will be the keynote speaker at the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter’s inaugural Heroes Breakfast on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Rivers Club in Downtown Pittsburgh.

    I was recently a guest on the morning radio show for KDKA – NEWSRADIO 1020, The Voice of Pittsburgh helping to promote this event. On Oct. 21, I will be traveling to Charleston, S.C., to speak at the Tiffany Circle Recruitment for the Carolina Low Country Chapter.

    As you can see, I am fortunate to be included in so many wonderful events, and I am happy to give back to a group that gave so much to me. Many times, church and senior groups that I speak to ask if they can bestow an honorarium. I always suggest that they make a donation to the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross in Charlotte. 

    A family of fine gems makes up the Red Cross. I am now blessed to be a part of and contribute to such a treasured organization that I consider part of my own family.

    Dave Sanderson
    US Airways Flight 1549

    Note: These thoughts (and more) are also captured in the forthcoming book, “Brace for Impact: The Search for Meaning in Near Death and Hope in New Life--Voices from Flight 1549.” Proceeds from the book will benefit the American Red Cross. Reserve your copy today!

    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.542 2009-09-24T11:34:19Z 2010-06-30T18:33:19Z MeierK test@test3.com

    Court Ogilvie from American Red Cross Disaster Operations Center discusses shelters opened in the South in response to the flooding.

    Looking for more updates on our activities in the southeast? Stay tuned to the Disaster Online Newsroom.

    What is the Greater Carolinas Chapter doing?

    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.540 2009-09-22T18:43:49Z 2010-06-30T18:33:49Z MeierK test@test3.com WASHINGTON – As rising flood waters cover the Southeast, hundreds have looked to the American Red Cross for shelter as officials estimate the number of people needing help could rise dramatically. 

    Overnight more than 220 people took refuge in Red Cross shelters in Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.  Georgia has been hit the hardest, particularly around the city of Atlanta where as much as a foot of rain fell Monday.  According to news reports, the flooding has claimed at least eight lives.  Governor Sonny Purdue has declared a state of emergency in 17 counties and authorities are urging people to stay home if possible.

    Red Cross is providing a safe place to stay, food to eat, and a shoulder to lean on for those affected by the flooding which has prompted evacuations, washed out bridges, caused landslides, and closed highways across the area.

    “These flood waters can come up very rapidly.  People should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice,” said Joe Becker, Senior Vice President Red Cross Disaster Services, “We have shelters open which offer a safe haven for those who have been forced out of their homes.”

    Preliminary estimates from emergency management officials indicate that as many as 1,000 people could potentially need sheltering.
    At this time, the Greater Carolinas Chapter, based in Charlotte, has not been asked to deploy volunteers or equipment.
    Red Cross offers the following steps people should take to be ready and stay safe:
    • Be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
    • Stay away from floodwaters. If you come upon a flowing stream where water is above your ankles, stop, turn around and go another way. Six inches of swiftly moving water can sweep you off of your feet.
    • If you come upon a flooded road while driving, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. Most cars can be swept away by less than two feet of moving water.
    • Listen to area radio and television stations and a NOAA Weather Radio for possible flood warnings and reports of flooding in progress or other critical information from the National Weather Service (NWS).
    • When a flood or flash flood warning is issued for your area, head for higher ground and stay there.
    For more information on what to do if flood waters threaten, visit Red Cross preparedness information on http://www.redcross.org.

    About the American Red Cross

    Help people affected by disasters like the current floods by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.  On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for disasters and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to victims of all disasters. Call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting http://www.redcross.org.

    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.536 2009-09-21T15:52:54Z 2010-06-30T18:34:54Z MeierK test@test3.com From Red Cross Chat
    By Gail McGovern, CEO of the American National Red Cross

    As everyone knows, the nation is actively keeping their eye on the H1N1 virus, whether it’s through the CDC, American Red Cross, or HHS.

    Whereas it’s always a challenge to get people to prepare for a natural disaster, we’re seeing exactly the opposite when it comes to the H1n1 virus.

    93% of Americans said they’re taking steps to make sure they can help avoid spreading the flu. 2/3 said they’d get innoculated if there was a vaccine.

    I think part of the reason for this high level of public awareness is that the way to prevent the spread is so easy.

    It’s simply:

    washing your hands
    using a tissue
    making sure you dispose of that tissue properly
    making sure you have enough supply at home in case you wind up having to be with a loved one who’s ill
    stay away from others if you do wind up contracting the flu
    It’s that easy!

    That said, it’s when you’re touched by a personal situation that all of this comes home. I know we’ve been trying to educate schools and parents but as a parent of a college student I was still concerned that we need to continue to get the word out.

    I recently dropped off my daughter at school for her second year (I thought it would be easier than the first year but am learning that isn’t the case - I can’t believe that I have to go through the emotional gut-wrenching experience of saying goodbye another two times after this).

    After another emotional goodbye to my daughter, the one thing that put a huge smile on my face is when I walked into her dorm suite I noticed that in every bathroom were bottles of Purell.

    In the elevators and in the dorm rooms and plastered all around the campus were how to prevent the spread of h1n1 flyers and they had the same easy steps I just spoke about.

    So it was delightful to see that in my market research with a sample of one, there was one university, the Johns Hopkins University, that is very much attuned and aware and doing their part to prevent the spread. As a mom it makes me feel a bit more comfortable about dropping my daughter off to school.

    Action Item: In addition to taking the easy steps I listed above, you can help us by passing around this information. Share it on Facebook, tweet it, or print it out and pass it around to your friends, workplaces, and schools.  I thank you in advance.
    

    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.521 2009-09-16T15:36:25Z 2010-06-30T18:35:25Z MeierK test@test3.com From Red Cross Chat
    
    Boston.com’s The Big Picture has a series of before and after photos of Hurricane Ike.

    Before: the photos depict the area in the immediate aftermath of the storm
    After: the photos are taken in the past couple of weeks of the same scenes to show the recovery process.
    
    Read about our efforts to help the people impacted by Ike’s landfall on the Texas gulf coast.
    

    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.520 2009-09-14T12:47:11Z 2010-06-30T18:36:11Z MeierK test@test3.com From Red Cross Chat
    With so many observances on the calendar these days, you may not have realized that Saturday, Sept. 12, was World First Aid Day. Now armed with this piece of trivia, you’re probably not surprised that the Red Cross is involved – first aid training is one of our areas of expertise. This year, our Red Cross colleagues in Europe pulled together a report about first aid trends that made us think – most would agree that first aid skills are fundamentally important, but what really motivates people to take a class?

    The report tells us that, at least in Europe, it’s partly because they have to. First aid training is required for people who drive, work in industrial settings and care for children in many countries.

    This bold approach means that Europeans are better prepared than most for a roadside accident, household emergency or workplace disaster. For example, the survey showed 95 percent of the population in Norway is trained in first aid. Close behind are Germany and Austria with 80 percent. And Iceland can boast that 75 percent of its people are trained. (Another set of trivia for your weekend social events)

    Many U.S. states have also enacted laws that require CPR training for teachers and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) be placed in public buildings, but what do you think? Should first aid training be required in theUnited States?

    To cast your opinion, take a few seconds to participate in our informal poll, and then let us know why you answered “yes” or “no” by commenting on this post.

    If you answered “no”, we’re especially interested in alternative ideas – how can we increase the number of Americans able to respond to life’s emergencies? Our President & CEO Gail McGovern recently asked this question at the launch of our new national preparedness campaign – Do More Than Cross Your Fingers.

    If we’ve piqued your interest, you can also learn more about our first aid training here at home and around the world. And if this discussion has motivated (or reminded) you to get trained, please contact your local Red Cross chapter to register for an upcoming course.

    Photo: Frank Toussaint/Belgian Red Cross

    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.519 2009-09-03T12:05:43Z 2010-06-30T18:36:43Z MeierK test@test3.com Boston.com’s The Big Picture has an amazing selection of photos from the wildfires burning in California.

    From The Big Picture:
    Angeles National Forest, in the hills outside of Los Angeles currently has several wildfires tearing through it, the largest of which - named the Station Fire - has so far burned over 140,000 acres, destroyed nearly 100 structures, and claimed the lives of two firefighters whose vehicle fell from a road into a steep canyon.

    Evacuation orders are in place for thousands in communities around the city, and residents of Los Angeles itself are contending with thick smoke and ash hanging in the air, causing air quality to drop to unhealthful levels in many parts. Currently, the Station Fire is estimated to be 22% contained, and favorable weather appears to be aiding the efforts of the firefighters.

    You can follow the Red Cross’s response activities to this fire on our Disaster Online Newsroom.

    We also suggest following @preparela @ocredcross and @sbredcross for local tweets.

    ]]> tag:redcrosshelps.org,2009:index.php/crossblog/index/1.516 2009-08-25T16:09:15Z 2010-06-30T18:37:15Z MeierK test@test3.com In the event of a natural disaster hitting the Tar Heel State, the American Red Cross, Johnson & Wales University, a world-renowned culinary institution and SUBWAY® restaurants of North Carolina are joining forces to provide meals for the victims.

    To prepare for an event of such magnitude, JWU students and employees, SUBWAY franchisees, Red Cross staff and other support personnel assembled 500 boxed lunches at the JWU Charlotte Campus culinary labs on Monday.

    Read more

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