Last week, I stumbled across some amazing semi-local news….”Woodland Hills Homeowners Find Fully Stocked Fallout Shelter in Their Backyard” Um, awesome… This is a piece of history, a glimpse into how seriously people used to take preparedness, and what went into a full-scale disaster preparedness kit.

Mind you, I fully understand that fallout shelters are not a thing of my generation, therefore I do not fully grasp the severity/fears of the nuclear age. But as a Red Crosser, I geeked out.

Fallout shelters were so important that not only were supply lists for them heavily distributed, but ways to make living in a fallout shelter more pleasant were also widely discussed. Some of my favorite suggestions for making living in a fall out shelter more tolerable:

Change the lighting (from fluorescent to incandescent and back) every few days
Paint the walls different colors
Play tapes of daily activities (traffic, refrigerators turning on/off, children playing)

But looking at the suggested sheltering supply list from the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization – I was happy to learn that many of the basics of being prepared have not changed…What would you add to this list based on today’s disaster preparedness knowledge?

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When Manny and Jan came into a New Jersey Red Cross shelter days after Sandy hit, it was their 38th wedding anniversary. They had tried to wait out the storm in a nearby attic, as waves flooded their home in their beloved Seaside Heights, NJ. In the end, the couple needed to seek shelter and food on a day when they should have been celebrating.

Last night, the couple were given a proper, belated anniversary dream date with the help of ABC’s The Bachelorette. Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock and contestant James Case forfeited their dream date for Manny and Jan, after hearing the couple’s tragic story and seeing their gutted home.

During last night’s episode, as Desiree and James enjoyed dinner in “a dive,” Manny and Jan had a private, candlelit dinner in The Foundation Room and danced to a private concert from music artist and Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet Member, Darius Rucker.

Manny and Jan stole viewers’ hearts, and they begged ABC for more on Twitter and Facebook. Romantics want to know how this couple has weathered the storm.

Can Manny & Jan get their own spin-off, please? #thebachelorette

— Paige Vigil (@paigevigil) June 18, 2013

At the Red Cross, it’s hard to resist a plea for hope. So, here are 10 things you may not know about the beloved Manny and Jan:

1. For much of their life, Seaside Heights had been only a vacation destination for Manny and Jan.
2. Manny bought Jan a home there as a romantic surprise.
3. When Manny and Jan came to the NJ shelter, Red Cross volunteers arranged a candlelit dinner to give them hope and normalcy on their anniversary.
4. One week after the storm, police lifted the curfew and allowed home owners four hours to access their houses to collect some personal belongings. Manny and Jan got their wedding photo album with the time they had.
5. The volunteer who restored the couple’s damaged wedding photo album is Jane Bowden. She left her home in Florida to volunteer during Sandy on a deployment assignment.
6. Manny is a huge fan of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, so when he saw Desiree in Seaside Heights it took his breath away.
7. When this episode was filmed, the couple had moved 4 times to temporary locations during their recovery.
8. They both describe being married to the other as “easy,” but also acknowledged that “it takes work.”
9. To keep the dream date a surprise, The Bachelorette made arrangements through the Red Cross and Manny and Jan’s son, Frankie. As the filming approached, Jan started to worry about why her son was receiving so many secret calls from ladies.
10. Manny and Jan’s story is one of many that red cross volunteers draw on for inspiration and hope when they face the despair in disasters.

I do.

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Working with the Restoring Family Links team, I’m privy to some pretty incredible stories — stories of hope and love persevering against all odds to bring families and loved ones long thought lost back into each others’ lives.

The dedication of our volunteers is often behind some of the most touching stories, and a recent one out of the Greater St. Louis region is no exception.

In a blog post last week, Mike Pfeifer, an American Red Cross International Services Volunteer, shares about a successful reconnection the chapter helped establish between two native Somalian brothers. Here is an excerpt:

Mohamed read his message aloud. “I am your brother, Ahmed. I am greeting you with my best. If you’ve forgotten me, I have not forgotten you.” The messages are often brief, out of necessity, but a few words can fill a heart and span decades.

“He’s the one who convinced me to marry my wife,” Mohamed said. Mohamed and his wife, Mana, have seven children. His family in the Kenyan camp did not know these children existed, nor had they seen them. He knew exactly how he would reply. “We must send him pictures,” Mohamed said.

The family went through closets to put on their best clothes for pictures. Along with several family pictures, Mohamed sent a Red Cross Message (RCM) in response.

“My Dear Brother, I am hereby submitting my best greeting. Say, ‘Hi” to Mom and brothers and sister.” With a regular communication link established, the family regains the links that bind them and can enfold new members into the warmth that is family.

Visit the St. Louis region’s blog to read more about the reconnection. For more on the Restoring Family Links program and how the American Red Cross works with the rest of the global Red Cross network to help locate missing loved ones, visit www.redcross.org/familylinks.

Through a single Red Cross Message, Mohamed Haji was reconnected with his older brother, Ahmed, for the first time in 12 years.

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It really is a small world, and here’s a story that demonstrates. So here we go:

1. Elementary school students in WI made goody bags to support service members.
2. Red Cross volunteers handed them out at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.
3. (OK stick with me now…) 12 years later Air Force Lt. Jennifer Szatkowski goes to the dentist at Walter Reed.
4. As she’s sitting in the exam room, she realizes the decorated paper bag hanging on the wall was the one she created years ago!

Read the whole article on the Department of Defense page:

Face of Defense: Airman Gets Unusual Gift at Dental Exam

Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces staff and volunteers have been supporting the US military, veterans, and families since Clara Barton first founded the organization during the Civil War.

**Photo credit to DOD and AFPS

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In November 1942, at Daytona Beach, Florida, selected members of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) stationed at the 2^ndTrainingCenter were appointed to the Life Guard Corps to guard the beaches allotted to the women for swimming and relaxing in their off-duty hours.

The training center command asked the Red Cross to give the women instruction in the surf as many of them had never worked in the ocean. Bert Powell, captain of the Daytona Beach Red Cross Life Saving Corps, directs a lifeboat team on a practice pull out to sea. Photo by Hod Lewis/American Red Cross, 1942

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Question: What happens when you combine crazy sandstorms, thunderstorms, an awesome new team,  birthday bash, visiting general, 5K, sprinting to a plane in boots with a backpack (AFTER the 5K), and not sleeping for 27 hrs?

Answer: Our trip out of Bagram!

Nope, this is not a joke. Who knew that getting out of Afghanistan would be much more eventful than the trip into country?

You can’t plan the weather, and as a result Team 30 was slightly delayed on their trip into Afghanistan. We had a short transition period, but both teams worked together to get everything done.

Early in the deployment we collaborated with the Army Reserve Affairs office to help plan their 105th Birthday 5K!  In a chaotic turn of events we found out that we would be flying out the same day as the race and hoped that the flight would be later in the day. The night prior, we were told our flight was scheduled to leave at 8am! Talk about cutting it close! Luckily we worked with the awesome Customs folks and the PAX terminal to get our duffels in early so we could run (little did we know it would be a SPRINT) from the race to the flight.

Tanya and Michelle setting up for the 5K

Our bags were ready to go as race time approached. Lt. Gen. Talley arrived and the runners and walkers lined up across Disney, the main road, and started the 5K course. Despite a rainy night, we had a great turnout!

Our volunteers are simply the best and helped us every step of the way from planning and logistics, registration, setup, t-shirts, refreshments, and cleanup. We definitely could not have done it with out them!

I ran straight through the finish to the shower so I would be in uniform post-race and for the flight home. As soon as the race finished and awards were presented, we sprinted back to the office, grabbed our backpacks and ran towards Customs and the terminal.

Post 5K with my race number

After we put our bags through scanner and were cleared to board, we walked to the driveway where a van was supposed to shuttle us out to the plane. To everyone’s surprise the van was no where to be found, so we RAN a bit more. Our plane was across the runway and we made a break for it. We arrived just as the last person was boarding and checked in, screaming over the engines of other planes  and helicopters to talk. It was a packed flight and I was suddenly very thankful (as were the soldiers sitting on either side of me) that I showered after the muddy race.

These boots were clean when we arrived…

5 hours later, we reached our first stop in Kuwait. As we checked in, we recognized the names of service members traveling home on emergency leave. It was a strong reminder of how our Emergency Communication Messages made it to service members across Afghanistan and gave them updates from home.

After being awake for so long, I crashed hard during our day and a half layover. Who knew you could sleep so soundly in a tent in desert? After getting some rest and linking up with the Kuwait team, we got ready for the next leg of the trip.  After a day of briefings and pouring out our bags at the customs check we got on the buses and headed to the plane.

2 teams worth of duffels

The most memorable part of the flight was flying along the eastern coast of the US trying to pick out the cities with the soldier in the row in front of me. I pointed out where my family lived on Long Island and he was the first to spot the lights of Manhattan. 16 hours and one layover later, we landed in Atlanta.

We had a whirlwind of a trip through Ft. Benning turning in gear and finalizing paperwork before we were cleared to leave.  The team parted ways at the airport in Atlanta as we departed to our separate corners of the country.

USA! Parting ways in Atlanta

The whole trip took us on 4 flights through 4 countries in 5 days. It was truly an amazing experience! A big thank you to all of our fabulous volunteers and the amazing people we met and worked with over the last 5 months!

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I finally finished putting away the gifts my children received for Christmas last week, so you can imagine my surprise when I looked at the calendar and discovered that summer vacation started earlier this week. Where did the time go?!

If all goes according to plan, our summer vacation will revolve around lots of fun field trips, projects, and travel. But just because we’re focused on fun and relaxation doesn’t mean we can forget about safety. In many cases, increased vigilance, following special guidelines or rules, and/or taking extra safety precautions go hand-in-hand with our favorite summer activities.

Here’s how to make this summer vacation both fun AND safe for you, your family, and your friends!

Swimming Lessons
I consider teaching my kids to swim – or paying someone else to teach my kids to swim, since neither appreciates my many years of swim team and water safety experience – one of my most important parental responsibilities and one of the greatest gifts I can give them. Read more about the importance of and benefits associated with swimming lessons here, and find American Red Cross swimming lessons in your area here.

Water Safety
Regardless of whether or not you and your children know how to swim, there are basic precautions you should take whenever you’re near a swimming pool or beach. Read more about safety in and around water here, and contact your local chapter to learn more about water safety, home pool safety, first aid, and CPR classes.

Lifeguarding
What better way to save lives than to become an American Red Cross lifeguard! Help make this summer a safe and enjoyable one for pool- and beach-goers by contacting your local aquatic facility and asking about American Red Cross lifeguard certification classes OR by contacting your local Red Cross Aquatics Representative.

Fireworks Safety
The arrival of summer generally starts us thinking about the 4th of July. And the 4th of July generally starts us thinking about fireworks. Fireworks cause thousands of fires, as well as many injuries and even death, every year. If you plan to use fireworks as part of your 4th of July and/or summer celebrations, please do so safely.

Heatstroke
Just like it doesn’t have to be extraordinarily cold outside for hypothermia to set in, it doesn’t have to be really hot outside to suffer from heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and/or heatstroke. To avoid becoming a victim of the summer temperatures and humidity, take steps to keep you and your family cool and hydrated this summer.

West Nile Virus
Ah, mosquitoes…The mosquitoes are out in full force where I live, which means we’ve already started taking precautions to protect ourselves from their vicious bites. Here’s what you need to know about how to combat mosquitoes and help prevent contracting the West Nile Virus.

Happy summer, Red Crossers – make it a great (and safe!) one!

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This is my first (hopefully of many) blog post so here is a bit about me. My name is Stephanie Nussbaum and I’m the Social Engagement intern at the National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for the summer. I work in the digiDOC and am having a very positive experience so far. I particularly enjoy being able to control the huge screens in the digiDOC (for those of you who want to learn more about the digiDOC, click here). I am a rising junior at Amherst College in western Massachusetts and am majoring in American Studies with a concentration in History. At Amherst, I am a member of the crew team, which I hope to continue during my time in D.C.. 

Despite the devastation the tornadoes have brought to Oklahoma, the people are still hopeful. The following photos from Instagram are just a few, of the many, examples of the strength and resiliency of the American spirit in The Sooner State.

To find out what the American Red Cross is doing to respond to Oklahoma tornadoes, visit the Red Cross Disaster Online Newsroom.

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Red Cross field directors and hospital recreation staff arrived in Normandy soon after the June 6, 1944, invasion, but on July 16, the much-anticipated Red Cross clubmobiles landed. Featured here is the Daniel Boone, the first Red Cross clubmobile to drive on to Utah beach.

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Editor’s note: This post is cross-posted from the Red Cross Philly blog. Thanks to Dave Schrader for authoring it!

The building collapse at the Salvation Army Thrift Store just around the corner from our American Red Cross office is a terrible tragedy. Because it happened to the Salvation Army, one of our long standing friends and partners in times of disaster, it hits extra close to home.

When tragedies like what happened Wednesday happen, the first question I get from the media is “What’s the Red Cross doing?”

Because no homes were affected and there weren’t any evacuations, my initial instinct was to say “Nothing yet.” I ultimately didn’t say that, but I should know better than to even think it. That’s because the Red Cross did do and is doing a lot.

Yes, it’s not the traditional role you think of when you think of the Red Cross responding. We didn’t set up a shelter and feed dozens of people displaced by a fire or hurricane or flood. We weren’t explaining how to prepare for an impending emergency. What we were doing, though, was equally as vital and something the Red Cross has always done and done well; we supported the first responders and provided emotional comfort to those immediately affected by the disaster. In the case of the building collapse, that involved giving water, food, and a place to rest for the firefighters and other search and rescuers.

Search crews at the scene of the building collapse in Philadelphia take a lunch break at the American Red Cross comfort station.

The Red Cross even provided a much deserved water break for one of the rescue dogs.

Phoenix, one of two rescue dogs working the scene of the Philadelphia building collapse gets a much deserved water break thanks to the American Red Cross.

For members of the Salvation Army dealing with the loss of friends, co-workers and customers we provided hugs, shoulders to cry on, and ears to listen. To the community at-large, we offered counseling to anyone having trouble coping with the tragedy.

As a communications person with the job of telling the Red Cross story, explaining how we are feeding and sheltering people is more high profile. It generates greater media interest. Explaining “canteening” and emotional support is more nuanced and less flashy, but critical just the same. Sometimes I need to be reminded of that. The Red Cross chips in where needed. No two disasters are the same. Needs are never the same. What makes the Red Cross so good at what it does is its capacity to meet the needs at that particular moment and change when the needs change.

If I always remember that, whenever I’m asked “What’s the Red Cross doing,” I’ll never again be tempted to say “nothing yet.”

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