Cross Blog

Charlotte Fire Department and Red Cross work together on holiday fire

Monday, December 28, 2009

Just before noon on Dec. 22, members of the Charlotte Fire Department responded quickly to a fire in a second-floor unit at the Yorktown Apartments.

Twenty-three firefighters were needed to bring the apartment fire under control in 15 minutes. The cause was determined to be accidental resulting in $20,000 in damage.

The American Red Cross responded to assist those displaced and property management was able to relocate the affected families to other vacant units.

Two families were displaced and no one was injured. After knocking down the fire, members of the CFD were able to save more than a dozen Christmas gifts that were returned to the owner.

Images courtesy of the Charlotte Fire Department

Giving Impact: A Connection In An Emergency

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

When soldiers go abroad, they can feel lonely and disconnected from their loved ones back at home. Our Help Military Families section of our Holiday Giving catalog is aimed towards providing service members and their families much needed care and connection during tough times.

The St. Louis Area Chapter blog has been highlighting the impact of our catalog gifts as well, and their post from Dec. 9 by Courtney Hinton was especially moving. Here is an excerpt from her post:

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

Knowing that the American Red Cross provides connections during emergencies to military personnel, the soldier’s mother-in-law phoned her local Red Cross and requested her son-in-law call home immediately. […] While he was glad to learn of his son’s arrival, he was worried about his health, so he spoke with his First Sergeant and discussed the possibility of taking emergency leave. Within 24 hours, the young soldier had been granted leave, and was already off on his journey home to investigate the well-being of his family thanks to the connection made by the Red Cross.

Read the rest of Courtney’s account here

In the rest of her post, Courtney shows how the Red Cross touched this soldier’s life multiple times throughout this difficult period of his family’s life, helping him ensure the wellbeing of his family.

During this holiday season, please consider the impact that you can have on military families through a simple donation from our Online Gift Catalog.

Red Cross staff celebrates the holidays

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Chapter employees and volunteers gathered together to celebrate this holiday season with a potluck lunch.
Individuals brought their favorite holiday dishes to share, which ranged from macaroni and cheese to Israeli couscous salad to green bean casserole.

And what holiday meal would be complete without treats? In fact, the dessert table was just as big as the entree table!
Staff shared recipes for their favorite desserts - cookies, cobbler, pumpkin pie, cheesecake and cupcakes - just to name a few.

Happy holidays, from all of us at your Red Cross.

Local Red Cross board gets certified

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

On Monday, Dec. 14, members of the Greater Carolinas Chapter Board of Directors took time from their busy schedules to learn CPR, First Aid and AED.

Chair Mike Rash encouraged all the board members to get certified through taking the Red Cross course.

“This is very dear to my heart,” Rash said. He suffered a heart attack earlier this year. Soon after, Rash and the chapter board chair from the Triangle Chapter challenged each other to have 100 percent of their boards certified in First Aid, CPR and AED.

Tate Ogburn, who is a board member and also certified Red Cross instructor, led the board in their skills session on Monday.

“I just hope no one ever has to use it!” he said.

More photos
Get trained!

Volunteers brave the cold for veterans

Monday, December 14, 2009

On Saturday, Dec. 5, Red Cross volunteers gathered to collect items to ship to local veterans. 

Many veterans won’t spend the holidays with family, and they have simple needs. Lite 102.9 paired with the Red Cross to collect items like travel-size toiletries, skid-free socks and playing cards.

If you would still like to help, you can bring the blow items to the Red Cross Mooresville Office at 200 Overhill Drive, Suite A:

Please keep the items small use trial or hotel size
Deodorant
Soap
Shampoo
Lotion
Pocket Tissues
Razors
Shaving Cream
Toothbrush
Brush
Washcloth Brush/Comb
Toothpaste
Cards/ Travel Games
Hygiene Products
Non-Skid Socks
Socks
Extra Lotion

Holiday Mail: Sorting Begins

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

We’ve been impressed and thankful for the incredible response from all of you regarding our Holiday Mail for Heroes program! Dec. 7 marked the close of the mail-in period - the mailbox will remain open for cards still trickling in, but cards sent from here on out will not be accepted.

Our work has only begun: now Pitney Bowes workers will screen the cards, then package and distribute them to Red Cross chapters nationwide. The chapters will then sort and deliver the cards to military bases and hospitals, veteran’s hospitals and other locations in the U.S. and abroad throughout the rest of this month.

Club Red and other volunteers from the Greater Carolinas Chapter will be sorting cards next Thursday at our card sorting party. Contact if you’d like to help!

Bites for Blood

Monday, December 07, 2009

Scared of needles?

This is your big chance to donate blood without them. Do it virtually if you have a Twitter account.

HBO has officially endorsed a True Blood fansite with a challenge.

If 500,000 of you click here and follow the instructions, HBO will donate $10,000 to the Red Cross.

How to sign up for and use Twitter so you can participate
Follow @RedCross and @GCCRedCross.

Red Cross volunteers enjoy time at the “track”

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

The Greater Carolinas Chapter has already begun working on the 2010 annual fundraising luncheon, set for 12-1:15 p.m. Thursday, March 4, at The Westin Hotel in Uptown Charlotte. This is the chapter’s biggest fundraiser, and thanks to the help of our wonderful volunteers, we’re sure this year’s event will be the best yet.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, a large group of volunteers dedicated to working on the luncheon met at Victory Lanes Indoor Karting to plan, eat some great food and - of course - ride the go-karts!

Chris “Speedy” Mahone and Andy “The Pro” Crawford (he had his own helmet and gloves!) led the racing with Keith Napier close behind. Brunetta, Joy Divine and Towanda Mahone also held their own. All exited their karts with smiles.

“Andy burned up the lanes!  Anytime someone brings racing gloves to the “game” you know they came to win,” said Brunetta Franklin, Red Cross staff member and point person for the luncheon this year. “He also shared hints to help us reduce our time. It was great fun.”

If you would like to help our chapter with this year’s luncheon, if you would like to attend or if you would just like more information, please call Liz Stephens at 704.347.8228 or send her an e-mail at .

Light up the holidays!

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Piedmont Town Center presents a fashionable way to celebrate the holidays and support the American Red Cross.

The event is free to the public and takes place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, around the fountain at the center.

The highlight of the evening will be the lighting of the tree, which takes place at 6:30 p.m. Blue Sky Décor, founded by Joe Brandano, has decorated Piedmont Town Center this year. Brandano is nationally recognized for his work decorating the Rockefeller Center.

The inaugural Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration features live music around the circle at the center. Also on tap for the evening are a unique fashion show sponsored by Salon Vivace to benefit the American Red Cross and a pet costume contest.

The evening’s proceeds will benefit the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the Red Cross. That money will be used right here in our community to:

• shelter, clothe and feed victims of disasters;
• train thousands of people in First Aid, CPR and other life-saving skills;
• connect military members overseas with their loved ones at home;
• transport clients to and from much-needed medical appointments; and
• spread the Red Cross mission to our neighbors.

At the American Red Cross, 91 cents of every donated dollar goes toward programs and services.

For event or sponsorship opportunities, contact Bryan Paschal at or 704.643.3038.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation’s blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit http://www.redcrosshelps.org or visit our blog at http://www.redcrosshelps.org/crossblog.