A neat story in the O with a Red Cross connection

By Jim Beseda, The Oregonian. Photo by Motoya Nakamura, The Oregonian

A year ago, Jefferson High School's Deion Guice seemed to be a big-time, big-program college football prospect -- until his transcript came into play.

He barely was doing enough in the classroom to remain eligible for the Democrats, and the chances of him getting admitted to a major university seemed questionable.

Last May, Guice accepted an invitation to Portland State's Junior Day. Vikings coach Nigel Burton first praised him for his athletic ability, then blasted him for his academic shortcomings.

That got Guice's attention.

Read more at OregonLive...

The Most Selfless Vanity Plate In The World

A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood. This driver "walks the walk" or actually..."drives the drive" by building blood donation awareness via license plate!

It is crucial that we build our blood supply for all patients in need and have a sufficient supply for the unexpected. You can help! Visit redcrossblood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or, if you're as dedicated as this driver, maybe even visit your local DMV...


A huge thanks to Lise for capturing this image!

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

SYRIA: Violence in Syria continues with one of the latest casualties being the secretary-general of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Dr. Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro. Dr. Jbeiro was shot in a vehicle clearly marked with the red crescent emblem after attending meetings at Syrian Arab Red Crescent headquarters in Damascus. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent, IFRC, and ICRC are renewing calls for an end to violence, while volunteers continue to administer life-saving first aid to the injured.

IVORY COAST: Following the second round of presidential elections in late 2010 where both candidates claimed victory, tension and violence grew into a full-fledged armed conflict in Ivory Coast. In the chaos, hundreds of children lost contact with their families. The ICRC and the Liberian Red Cross have registered around 600 children separated from their parents and are working to bring the children back their families.

PHILIPPINES: As tens of thousands of survivors in Mindanao, Philippines enter their second month of uncertainty, the Red Cross is announcing plans to drastically increase its support to communities affected by December’s Typhoon Washi. The revised operation will see the Red Cross provide 2,000 families with cash or other livelihoods support as well as reaching 15,000 families – an estimated 75,000 people – with food, water storage containers and hygiene kits. In all, the Red Cross now intends to reach 100,000 people through these various interventions.

SUDAN: For Darfur's pastoral communities, livestock is essential for their sustenance and constitutes the backbone of the local economy. The lack of rain, desertification and prevailing insecurity has stressed herding communities into animal overcrowding at the few options remaining, leading to increased risk of disease. The ICRC has been extending its support by training animal health workers and through large-scale vaccination campaigns in remote areas of Darfur, and in response herders are reporting a dramatic decrease in the number of animals they are losing to disease.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

જીવન સાચવો, લોહી દાન! (Save Lives, Donate Blood!)

Hidden among the chaotic collection of decrepit alleys, perplexing roundabouts, and weaving rickshaws, there is an unassuming, white building. This structure, surrounded by several Blood Mobiles, is the Bombay City Branch of the India Red Cross Society.

I had the privilege of visiting the center while taking a family vacation to India over winter break. Although the site doesn’t boast extravagant advertising methods, a large donation center, or a surplus budget, all 35 staff members are compassionate, generous, resourceful, dedicated, and hard-working. The center only has about 2-3 walk-in donors per day, and a majority of their donations are the result of Blood Mobile presence at political functions, birthday parties, universities and other large social gatherings.

Dr. Narinder Kaur Naidu, Medical Director for the Bombay City Branch, mentioned the significance of the National Service Scheme (NSS) in raising awareness about Red Cross needs, providing volunteers, and encouraging others to donate. NSS is a service organization of 2.6 million volunteers from over 200 universities, which shows the power and crucial presence of youth in philanthropic efforts.

As I received a delightful tour of the blood center, I passed the halls adorned with catchy propaganda, such as a poster saying We can’t get blood from a stone, so please give us a little of yours. The Mumbai branch gives about 35-40% of its collected units at no cost. A majority of these recipients are children, who are also provided medicines if required.

I am impressed by the amount the branch is able to do on few resources, such as hold local events for World Red Cross Day, engage the Junior Red Cross in activities such as summer camps and workshops, and celebrity cricket matches. It was an honor to be able to visit the Maharastra branch in Mumbai, and to meet fellow human beings striving to impact the world around them through service, leadership, and compassion.

Visiting the center reminded me of why I volunteer for the Red Cross; the passion the Red Cross has for positive change transcends cultural, political, language, and country boundary lines and truly saves the lives of people across the globe! Thank you India Red Cross Society!

Red Cross Response Continues in Oregon

The Oregon Red Cross response to the January Winter Storm disaster began on Jan 18. The storm has been accompanied by hurricane force winds in some parts of the coast, heavy rain, snow, ice, power outages, fallen trees, flooding, landslides and two fatalities. The storm has affected ten counties to date, and has impacted Salem, coastal areas, and some small towns in the Coast foothills and central Willamette Valley.

Current impact-to-residence totals across Oregon, as identified by Red Cross disaster assessment teams, as of January 23rd, are:

• 167 residences have been affected in some way that caused the occupants to require Red Cross assistance;
• 52 residences have sustained minor damage;
• 37 residences have sustained major damage;
• 6 residences have been destroyed.

The Red Cross is currently completing Disaster Assessments in several counties and also developing a list of unmet needs for partner organizations, such as: disposal dumpsters, sheet rock, and rebuilding supplies.

We continue to send assessment teams into areas where river waters have receded. We are restocking trailers and activating volunteers in anticipation of additional flooding, with Disaster Response Teams standing by to respond in several locations in the Willamette Valley and the Oregon coast, including:

Lincoln County
Tillamook County
Clatsop County
Columbia County
Washington County
Yamhill County
Polk County

We have contacted the Emergency Mangers in all of these counties, offered our assistance and requested they notify us if they are considering opening their EOCs.

We are sending a Shelter Team to assist with a Red Cross supported shelter in Hood River. This shelter was requested by Hood River Emergency Management due to snow, icy conditions and power outages that have continued in the area for several days.

A Red Cross shelter has been opened across the Columbia River from Hood River in White Salmon at White Salmon Fire Hall, 119 NE Church Street.

We are also standing by with shelter teams if the Nehalem River begins to rise to flood levels in Vernonia.

You can search for Red Cross Shelter sites online at: http://www.redcross.org/nss/

Support the Red Cross
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help people affected by disasters, like the recent storms and flooding, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters.

Contributions may be sent online at http://www.redcross.org, or to your local American Red Cross chapter, or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Red Cross needs blood donations...
Severe weather in the state has disrupted blood donations. If you have an appointment to donate blood, don't forget to come by, or if you would like to sign up to donate, go to: http://www.redcrossblood.org/ or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule an appointment.

Red Cross Safe and Well...
The Oregon Red Cross encourages everyone displaced by flooding, and anyone attempting to locate friends and loved ones, to use the Red Cross Safe and Well site at: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php