By now, you may be too familiar with the sobering statistics on drowning: Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death of children ages 1-14. About ten people die from unintentional drowning every day, and of these, two are children under the age of 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Drowning also has an impact on society. Incidences of drowning will cost society about $100 billion for the next 20 years, according to a white paper from the National Swimming Pool Foundation.

We also know there’s an easy way to help reduce tragic drowning incidences: Teach kids to swim.

Research shows that if a child doesn’t learn to swim before the 3rd grade, they likely never will. Early swimming lessons are critical. The American Red Cross plays a key role in two campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of teaching children to swim.

The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson

The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™, which takes place Tuesday, June 18 at locations worldwide, will teach kids across the globe how to swim. Waterparks, pools and aquatic facilities around the globe will host swimming lessons simultaneously at 11am ET in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record™.

Last year, 24,873 people participated – a Guinness World Record™ .

The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ is a collaboration between several of the world’s leading water safety and swim training organizations, including the American Red Cross. The event aims to generate awareness about the importance of teaching kids to swim to help reduce tragic drowning incidences.

To find a World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ venue in your area, visit http://www.worldslargestswimminglesson.org.

Step Into Swim

When the National Swimming Pool Foundation launched Step Into Swim™ in 2012, it brought national attention to water safety. The 10-year campaign has an ambitious goal: Teach 1 million people to swim by 2022.

The Step Into Swim™ campaign provides funding to four non-profit organizations that will help achieve that goal of one million more swimmers in the next ten years, including the American Red Cross. The National Swimming Pool Foundation has been matching donations from the aquatics industry and others dollar-for-dollar.

Resources for Parents

Parents can help reduce the risk of accidental drowning deaths by signing their kids up for swim lessons, and by signing up themselves if they don’t know how to swim.

The American Red Cross offers numerous swimming and water safety programs for children, parents and swim coaches. Learn about the six-level Learn-to-Swim program, find out about preschool aquatics programs, or learn about Safety Training for Swim Coaches. To find classes for your family, contact your local aquatic facility and ask for American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim programs.

Outdoor swim season will be here soon – what will you do to make this summer a safer one on the water?

About the Author: Gary Hohne is president of Hohne Pools, a Baltimore, Maryland pool company, and a member of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals.

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Since Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881, women have played an important part in advancing the organization’s programs and services. As we close out Women’s History month, our last installment features images of women in Red Cross paintings. The Red Cross collection contains paintings by well-known illustrators dating from the early to mid-twentieth century. The paintings, many of them featuring women, were turned into posters promoting Red Cross fundraising, preparedness training and membership drives.

Howard Chandler Christy, c. 1919

Frederick Sands Brunner, c. World War II

 Hayden Hayden, c. 1937

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I deployed to Kuwait in January 2003, as part of the American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces team. We were conducting our ongoing mission of connecting military members to their families. I had been to Kuwait before, having spent most of 2001 on the same camp, but this time was different.

In mid March, we knew something was coming. Military units were coming and going at a quicker pace, increased tension was palpable. Then one night after I finished my late shift I walked in for midnight chow and the hall was virtually empty. What had been an hour-long line the day before took three minutes.

A few weeks prior I had been told by someone not to worry until the band shows up. The Army band provides additional guard duties during war and I was told that was the real indicator. I sat down for dinner that night and introduced myself to the person next to me. He responded, “Hi, I’m Dave. I play trumpet for the band. We got in a few hours ago.” Uh oh…

Soldiers had helped me put all my gear together since I wasn’t as familiar with it and the next morning I walked out with the additional 44 lbs of kevlar, chemical gear, etc. Within five minutes the alarms went off but the giant voice didn’t start with “exercise, exercise.”

I grabbed for my gas mask and tried to remember my training. The honest truth was the bag that held the mask also made a great purse so when I grabbed for it out came lip gloss, sun block and a granola bar. I got it on and ran to the nearest bunker, staring at a coworker and a bunker full of strangers as the Patriot missiles roared over our heads. That is a sound I will never forget.

By the third attack I had worked my way to the office. It was full of people without equipment. They were supposed to head home that morning and had turned in all their gear. The irony is that they were a chemical unit and knew what could happen. We scrambled to shove our outer uniform tops in the vents and doors to try to seal the room. A female soldier sat with me, holding my chem gloved hand in her bare one. That was the most scared I have ever been because I couldn’t imagine watching people die in front of me. She was so brave though, it inspired me to be stronger. Luckily, Air Defense brought the missile down well away from the camp.

Thirteen times that day we grabbed for masks and dove for bunkers. At 0200 as I dragged my exhausted self from a bunker, a soldier leaned over and said quietly “thank you for being here.”

In my 17-year career I have had some powerful experiences — Louisiana after Katrina, the burning Pentagon on 9/11, Haiti after the 2010 earthquake — but those 8 months in Kuwait still live deepest in my heart. Many of the Red Crossers who were with me are still out there providing this vital service around the world, still deploying side by side with the military. I am grateful everyday for their commitment to this amazing mission.

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Practice Makes Perfect! [Oregon Trail Red Cross]

Now I know it’s more than just blood (Southeastern Michigan Red Cross]

3 year old boy donates [Northeast Indiana Red Cross]

Supermodel Niki Taylor reaches out to blood donors who helped save her life [Atlanta Journal Constitution]

Rusty fire hydrant planets [What does your nearest fire hydrant look like?]

Shoreline [The Big Picture] many pictures of the Sandy affected shoreline

Pop Quiz!

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Today marks the first official day of spring!

OMG, yay!!

Warmer weather! Ditching socks for sandals! Longer days! I love all of these things. Everything’s on the up and up.

Oh.

Sound advice, but always a bit of a downer. As the internet’s favorite weather-obsessed fantasy book (and TV show) character states above, spring does indeed come with some expected severe weather. There’s tornado season, which is most active in April and May. The common assumption that tornadoes only really threaten states in “tornado alley” isn’t valid anymore- recent studies have suggested that many states outside tornado alley see just as many, or more tornadoes year-to-year. Check out this awesome map be IDV Solutions of tornado tracks over 61 years- are you in an affected area?

Tornadoes are scary, but there are many, many steps everyone can take to keep themselves safe. There are also lots of sites dedicated to checklists and good info on tornado safety. At the Red Cross, we actually made that preparation easier with the new Tornado app.

The coolest part is the alert system, which will actually monitor your location and play a loud alarm if you have a tornado warning in your area. Extra useful for overnight monitoring.

Also useful to remember: many of the same tips and things you can do to prepare for tornadoes also apply to severe thunderstorms.

So now I’ve prepared for tornadoes, I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the lovely weather, right?

Oof.

What am I forgetting? April showers… could bring flooding. It’s no coincidence that this is also National Flood Safety Awareness Week.

Luckily, I know that there are good flood prep tips in several locations, like the Red Cross website, Ready.gov, and the NOAA website. One of the more surprising facts I’ve heard is that “flooding causes more damage in the United States than any other severe weather related event”… which means that I will definitely be double checking my renter’s insurance to make sure it’s up to date. Even more importantly, flash flooding can happen anywhere in the country, regardless of whether your location is near a body of water.

If I have to remember just one thing about flood safety, though, it would have to be the phrase, “Turn Around Don’t Drown“. Never, ever, drive your car through flooded sections of road, because you can’t tell for sure how deep the water goes and how fast it is running.

Okay, now that we’ve gone through some of the top safety tips and are all prepared for spring, I say let’s bring on the sunshine. I’m headed to the dog park and trails as soon as possible.

Now, give yourself a pat on the back (or head) for making it to the end of this post! Happy Equinox, everyone.

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It’s Women’s History Month! And to commemorate it, the Red Cross archives will feature images from the collection portraying women and their diverse roles in the organization. Since the founding of the American Red Cross by Clara Barton in 1881, women have played an important part in advancing the organization’s programs and services. The second installment features World War II volunteers and women providing Red Cross services in Korea and Vietnam.

Washington, DC, June 1942—These volunteer production workers of the American Red Cross prepared over 300,000 kits containing small articles for the comfort of the men sailing to foreign ports. The kits contained soap, writing materials, shoe laces, playing cards, a polishing cloth, and a paperback novel. Photo by F. Fusco

Korea 1955—Red Cross Clubmobile staff serving coffee to men of the 32^nd Infantry Regiment, 7^th Division, during field maneuvers. Photo by Dorothy Moore

Phu Loi, South Vietnam, June 1968—A cold drink for a hot day is handed to a soldier by Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas (SRAO) staff. Red Cross spent long arduous days bringing informal recreation programs to isolated units in South Vietnam. Photo by Mark Stevens

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Read the introduction to this American Red Cross Club blog series here.

How can I join an American Red Cross Club?

First, find out if an American Red Cross Club (which I’ll abbreviate to “club” from this point forward) already exists at your high school, college, or university by contacting the Student Activities Office or Office of Student Life; visiting the section of your school’s website dedicated to student clubs and organizations; or talking to friends, teachers, professors, or counselors. If a club is in place at your school, these offices, websites, and/or people can connect you to your club’s leadership team, the members of which will fill you in on club paperwork, dues, meetings, and activities. Easy, right?

But what if an American Red Cross Club doesn’t exist at my high school or college/university?

Bummer! But at least you have options.

Your first option is to grab the bull by the horns and start a club on your own or as part of a small team of students.

If you don’t feel comfortable forming on a new club, consider joining an already-established club at another high school, college, or university in your community. Most clubs will open their doors to members from other schools as long as those schools don’t have clubs of their own.

If there are no clubs in your community, consider joining your local chapter of the American Red Cross as a volunteer. Perhaps after a year or two of involvement with the organization you’ll feel confident enough to get the ball rolling and start a club yourself!

How can I start an American Red Cross Club at my high school or college/university?

Seems a little daunting, doesn’t it? Don’t worry – it doesn’t have to be!

The Red Cross Youth and Young Adults team has compiled all sorts of fantastic resources to make the process of forming a club as simple and straight-forward as possible. To get you started, here are the basics:

Recruit a few friends (no more than six) to help you get the club up and running.

Recruit a teacher/professor, counselor, or staff member – preferably someone who is committed to working with youth, well-respected among students, and familiar with the Red Cross – to sponsor your club.

Set up a meeting with your local Red Cross volunteer manager to find out the chapter’s requirements for clubs, establish a primary point of contact, and seek approval from the chapter’s board of directors.

Find out what requirements (and begin taking care of these requirements) your school has for clubs to ensure your club will be eligible for school funding/resources and granted permission to hold events on campus.

Register your club and recruit new members by talking to friends, advertising on social media networks, networking with other clubs, posting fliers around your school, and/or placing an ad in your school’s newspaper or on your school’s radio or television station.

Hold your first club meeting! Invite your chapter contact to attend the meeting as a resource, brainstorm ideas for events, prepare for elections (inform members about available leadership positions and request applications), publicize upcoming meetings, and take care of volunteer paperwork (collect contact information and request that each member fill out a volunteer application, code of conduct, and parental consent form if they’re under 18).

Lastly, keep open the lines of communication between the club, your sponsor, and your local chapter to ensure a better working relationship and support in the future.

Like I mentioned above, the Red Cross has a lot of really great resources available to youth, including more in-depth resources for those who want to create or strengthen clubs at their schools.

Club in a Box: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Sustaining a Red Cross School Club

Save a Life: A Sponsor Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club

Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club

For additional information or if you have any questions, email youthinvolvement@redcross.org.

Activity Guide Contest
This contest invites existing Red Cross clubs to create, in honor of March is Red Cross Month, innovative and progressive how-to guides for youth-driven and mission-related projects. These guides should be brief, step-by-step documents that guide others through planning and implementing the projects, and should focus on blood, preparedness, and/or fundraising. Access to the contest entry form is available on RedCrossYouth.org and entries must be received by Monday, March 31, 2013.

Red Cross Club Survey
The American Red Cross Youth and Young Adult team is collecting information, via a brief survey, about the great work being accomplished by Red Cross clubs in preparation for better supporting clubs throughout the 2013-2014 school year. National Headquarters is asking ALL clubs to complete the survey, so if you have a connection to a club, please pass along this information and ask the club president or a member of the club leadership team to complete the survey by April 30, 2013.

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The Red Cross Gets a Makeover [Turn Out]

Animal CPR Given to a Tapir [Huffington Post]

To Save a Life, Odds Favor Defibrillators in Casinos [NPR]

Letters from a Private

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Zack Gross is a fellow for the Restoring Family Links program in the Los Angeles, CA chapter of the American Red Cross.

Q. Tell me a little bit about what you do as an RFL fellow. What is a typical day for you?

A. For starters, the Restoring Family Links program aims to reconnect people who’ve been separated by conflict or disaster. That means working with people who have been affected by anything from World War II, to current civil unrest, to population movements, etc. We’re just one part of a global program of every Red Cross and Red Crescent – we all work together to locate and reconnect people with their loved ones.

As a fellow, I’m more involved with outreach into our local communities so that people are aware of the services we offer. We have some very diverse and unique communities around LA, but people still often have similar stories of having lost contact with their families abroad. For instance, I will go to Holocaust Survivor meetings to promote our services. People are really touched that we provide the service free to them, and they’re sometimes eager to open a case right away.

Q. How did you become interested in this line of work?

A. It probably started when I studied abroad in Uganda for a semester. I helped with a project that worked on former child soldier rehabilitation and reintegration, assisting in life skills and empowerment. From there, I studied Violence, Conflict abd Developmentfor my master’s degree, and then worked in Rwanda for an organization that supported children born of rape during the genocide. The realities on the ground and the context of each situation meant you could never be fully prepared for something; nothing was cookie-cutter. I realized that I was curious to know how these circumstances and my knowledge would be applied domestically.

Q. What do you most enjoy about your job now?

A. Just to hear the stories of survival and strength. The personalities make it great; I’ve met so many characters and kind people.

Most of the cases I work are Holocaust-related. My own grandparents were Holocaust survivors, so it hits very close to home. They were both from Poland and sent to concentration camps in Germany – my grandmother to Bergen-Belsen and my grandfather to Dachau – but they met after the war in a displacement camp, where my dad was born. They moved to Los Angeles when Dad was four or five years old.

My grandparents never liked to talk about their story, so I kind of just had to piece things together from what I learned from my parents and whatever documents we found after they passed. I was also very close to one of my grandmother’s sister who lived in Israel. She was a survivor of Auschwitz.

I meet so many people through my RFL work who have similar stories. One time, while giving an outreach speech at Café Europa, a woman stood up and asked me if I was David Gross’ grandson.

She said “your grandfather and I were babies together in Poland!” They had literally known each other since they were children in Poland, and remet as adults in Los Angeles..

It’s been a fantastic experience and people are always so surprised that the Red Cross does this. To me, it’s such a valuable service that’s really changed people’s lives. It’s really special to be able to work with clients – whether it’s providing a reconnection or just giving closure through knowing what happened. People’s lives are changed and I just appreciate being a part of the Red Cross for it.

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There has not been a day that has passed in my over dozen years with the Red Cross that I have not been touched, amazed and delighted by our volunteers. They are an integral part of our country’s fabric. Their dedication is felt in thousands of communities, from small towns like Latrobe, PA to large cities like Los Angeles, CA. These 500,000 committed volunteers represent 94 percent of our workforce. And that doesn’t even count the millions who voluntarily donate blood.

Our volunteers represent every facet of America, from students to retirees. They represent our Fundamental Principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality.

In essence, there wouldn’t be a Red Cross without volunteers. Who would provide shelter to those who’ve lost their home to a hurricane? Who would help a family get back on their feet after their home burned to the ground? Who would help us run 150,000 blood drives a year? Who would teach thousands life-saving skills? Who would provide care and comfort to military members and their families when faced with an emergency? It’s everyday people who do that. People like you and me – helping people like you and me who have been struck by disaster – large or small.

I am thrilled with the launch of our new volunteer management system, Volunteer Connection, that will strengthen the bond with our volunteers. This system brings incredible value to our volunteers and to the Red Cross. It allows us to better match an individual’s skills and desires to Red Cross work. It gives us tools to enhance how we communicate with volunteers while providing them a mechanism to connect with each other. And better connections will lead to a better volunteer experience and even better service to our communities. Which in the end, is why we do what we do and why choose to become American Red Cross.

Volunteer Connection makes it easy to become a part of the Red Cross. You too can feel the sense of deep satisfaction our volunteers feel when they help someone in need. Go to www.redcross.org/support/volunteer to learn more and join. We need you. Your community needs you.

I want to give a special thanks to W.W. Grainger, Inc. whose generosity makes Volunteer Connection possible. They are a valued partner who recognize the power of volunteers – in fact,1,400 of their employees are Red Cross volunteers through our Ready When the Time Comes program.  Grainger truly recognizes the importance of building resilient communities.

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